Lost and Found
by Comrade Buttons
Summary: Yuffie alone manages to unlock Vincent's broken heart. When hunted by an unknown enemy, the pair will discover each others' feelings. But when Vincent's past catches up to him, will old emotions shatter this new-found happiness?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: A Friend's Concern, Duly Noted

Vincent sat in silence on his futon, hardly aware of the life bustling outside his small room in Cosmo Canyon. He stared at the wall, not really seeing it, a tranquilizer resting heavily in his palm.

A noise caught his attention; paw pads on the floor, nearing his door. Vincent stowed the tranquilizer under the futon, but hadn't quite regained full composure by the time Red XIII had entered. _I'm slow_, he noted irritably. _What's happening to me? _

"You should lay off those things," Red offered gently. "They _can _be addicting, you know."

"Hmm. Nanaki." Red smiled as much as his feline face would allow and shook his head in amusement. "You're the only one of the Avalanche group to use my real name. Why is that, Vincent?"

Vincent shrugged. "Would you rather I called you the name given to you by… _him_?" Hojo's image appeared briefly in his mind, causing him to shudder.

Nanaki shut the door and sat down on the floor beside Vincent, his animal eyes sympathetic. He spoke in a whisper, knowing Vincent's acute senses would have no trouble deciphering his words. "It's been nearly six months, Vincent. Are you still so bitter?"

Vincent clenched his claw shut in frustration. "You needn't concern yourself."

"How can I not? I'm worried about you. Everyone is. You stopped going to your sessions with Elder Raan. He's very concerned."

"I suppose you're here pestering me at his request."

"Pestering?" Nanaki appeared insulted. "Is that what your friends are to you, Vincent? Pests? Irritations you'd rather do without?"

Vincent had no retort, but turned his gaze away from the warrior beast.

"You know," Nanaki continued, a fond tone of remembrance evident in his gravely voice, "that night when Sephiroth was defeated and Holy was unleashed, I felt very close to my comrades. We had become a family. I really regret that we all see each other so infrequently. That's why I was so pleased when you decided to move to Cosmo Canyon last month. I hoped to see a new you; a man with peace in his heart, who'd left the sad past behind him. But you haven't change. No; you're in worse shape now than when we found you in that coffin."

"Nanaki."

"I'm not finished," the big orange cat stated firmly, jumping to his feet and leaning closer to Vincent, his eyes burning. "You said it yourself, when we faced Hojo. _He _was to blame for _everything_. _He _hurt Lucrecia; he hurt _you_. He unleashed Sephiroth on the world, and held no remorse for any of it. But he's _dead, _Vincent. By your own hand. You've had your revenge. Why can't you move on?"

Vincent's head fell into his hand, causing his ebony hair to drape elegantly forward. "I don't know," he whispered at length. "It's… not just Hojo, or Lucrecia."

"Then, what? I want to help you, Vincent. You're my friend."

"And I apologize for not being yours. I'm truly sorry."

Nanaki sighed and turned to go. "Oh," he said, stopping to look over his withers. "I almost forgot. Someone's coming to see you."

Vincent looked up. "Who?"

"None other than the _White Rose of Wutai_." Vincent's shoulders fell. "I know she's a little… loud. Just remember, she's coming because she cares about you."

"Is that so?"

Nanaki nodded. "In fact, I believe her exact words were, 'super-ultima badass.'" Vincent sighed and shook his head. "I'm not sure I quite live up to that title."

Nanaki chuckled on his way out. "Yuffie feels differently. Be polite,Vincent,"

"Duly noted."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two – The Single White Rose of Wutai

It was early in the morning, before dawn, when the ninja stalked silently through the quaint little village of Cosmo Canyon. Slinking from wall to wall, she took a moment to gaze fondly at the eternal bonfire in the town's center. It had been a happy time for Yuffie Kisaragi, that night, surrounded by the people she would come to know as comrades and, eventually, friends.

But this was no time for reminiscing. Surely Vincent had acquired some rare new materia since their last encounter. And, surely, he wouldn't mind donating at least one of the orbs to ensure the prosperous future of Wutai. _Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk._

Yuffie slinked into Vincent's room. No glowing red eyes; that was her green light. She felt around in the dark, ever so stealthily, until her fingers fell upon the cold frame of the Cerberus. She grinned in the blackness of the room, and let her fingertips caress the smooth grip, then trace the links of chain which would lead her to the materia score. As her hand closed around the orb, she nearly shook with excitement. Before she could pop it from its slot, however, a pair of red eyes flashed open, only inches from her face. She jumped back in surprise, hitting her head on the desk in the corner. "Ouch."

A light came on and Vincent stood still as a tree, squinting harshly at her. "Um, hi, Vince…" The squint grew harder. "-Ent." She knew he didn't care for nicknames. "Hello, Yuffie. I've been expecting you." "Yeah, I can see that." Yuffie laughed nervously as Vincent offered her a hand up. She placed her own hand in his, leaving the other clutching the back of her head where, already, a bump was forming.

Once she was securely on her own feet, Vincent took a step back and glanced down at the materia equipped to the Cerberus.

"I was gonna give it back!" "Hmph." "I _was_! First thing in the morning." "Which morning?" Yuffie smiled. "You're a quick one, Vincent." "I try."

Yuffie flopped down on his futon, folded her arms behind her head. "So," she said cheerfully. "What do you wanna do today?" Vincent simply looked at her as she lay casually on his bed. She never had any trouble making herself at home, as long as that home belonged to someone else. "I assume you've already got my entire day mapped out for me," he said at last. "Filled to the brim with distractions." "Vincent Valentine," she scolded. "What the heck are you talking about?" He turned sharply on her. "I know you're only here because Nanaki asked to you come." "Red? But he never called me. I called _him_." "Right." "Actually, I called _you _a dozen times before I finally tried Tigger." "Hmph." "Check your phone," she insisted.

Vincent pulled the mobile from his pocket and turned it on. A moment later, the alert appeared on the screen. Sixty-two missed calls; twenty-three new voicemails. Sure enough, most of them were from Yuffie, including the last dozen or so. "Why do you even have that thing if you're never going to answer it? You're worse than Cloud!" Vincent snapped the phone shut and slid it into a pouch on his belt, leaving it turned on this time. "Alright, Yuffie. You win. Where are we going?" Yuffie beamed at him.

"Well!" she exclaimed, raising her index finger in the air. "First, I'm going to get some sleep!" With that, she rolled over and curled up on Vincent's futon. She peeked up at him with one eye and flinched at his cold gaze. "Hey, don't look at me like that, Mister Sinister! I came all the way from Edge!" "Edge isn't that far, Yuffie." She didn't respond. Vincent watched her for a moment, wishing sleep came as easily for him. He holstered Cerberus, and left Yuffie to rest.

Sleep wasn't a major concern for Vincent Valentine since Hojo's tampering. He headed through the village, toward the forest beyond. _Might as well get some training in before she wakes up_, he thought to himself. Somehow, he wasn't as irritated as he'd expected to be with the young ninja. He remembered how she'd saved him after his would-be fatal encounter with Rosso the Crimson. Everybody had come through for him, just as he had for them in the past. That was how friendship worked. Yet something about that caused a strange melancholy to build up within him.

When he returned, Yuffie was still asleep. He stepped quietly past her and knelt beside the lockbox where his materia was stored. It was a minor sprain; Cure would take away the soreness of it. "Vince?" came a sleepy voice from behind. He turned his head, still crouched beside the box. "You're hurt." "It's nothing," he mumbled, locking the box back up before rising. "Are you getting up now?" he asked impassively. "Yeah, I guess so."

At some point while he'd been out, she'd removed her socks and shoes and dispersed them around the room at random. "Where's my other sock?" she whined, crawling on hands and knees across the hard wooden floor. Vincent spotted the wadded up white ball and bent down for it. Yuffie snatched it up before he could reach it, an awkward smile on her youthful face. "Like I said, I walked all the way from Edge. Do you guys have, like, a laundromat around here?" Vincent shook his head. "What? That's barbaric! How do you wash your clothes?" "In Bugenhagen's washing machine." "Oh." "I'm sure Nanaki wouldn't mind." "Good. I'll ask him tonight." "Tonight? How long are you staying?" She shrugged. "As long as I feel like it." "Oh." "Alright, I'm ready. Let's head out!" "Where are we going?" "Nanaki said we could go down to the caverns." "What for?" "For materia, of course! Cloud just rushed us right through, without even looking. I bet there's a ton of materia just lying around down there. I've been dying to go back!" "Yuffie…" "What's wrong, Vince? Scared of a few ghosts?" "No, but… as I recall, you are." "Hey, I'm a lot older now, y'know!" "Very well, Yuffie. Whenever you're ready."

She would never admit it, but the moment they reached the underground haunt, Yuffie could feel a cold sweat breaking on the back of her neck. Vincent seemed unaffected by the strong presence of the spirits dwelling in this place. She, on the other hand, was nearly petrified.

Wanting to appear brave in front of the fearless Vincent Valentine, she marched forward, flinching occasionally at the unexplainable noises in the caverns. A low moan up ahead made her freeze and drop into a crouch. Vincent's tattered cape brushed against her arm then and when she looked up, he was standing over her. "Are you certain you're alright?" She rose quickly and did her signature air-punch maneuver a few times. "Of course I'm _certain_. This place is no problem for Yuffie Kisaragi, single white rose of Wutai!" Vincent grunted and began walking again.

Deeper within the caves, however, Yuffie's imagination was getting the better of her. She was all but crawling on hands and knees at this point, flinching and ducking at every little noise. When the ghosts did materialize, however, she faced them fearlessly. It made no sense to Vincent, but he knew better than to attempt to rationalize Yuffie's behavior. And so, he walked silently beside her, occasionally tolerating her clinging to his arm for security.

The materia hunt wasn't much of a success, after all. Yuffie had taken a wrong step into a crack in the rock formation and twisted her ankle, and Vincent had to carry her back to the surface. "You know," he said as he set her down on a crate when they reached the top of the ladder. "For a ninja, you're pretty clumsy." She stuck her tongue out at him as he sealed the door. "I just wish I could've found some materia." "Hmm. Indeed." "Thanks, Vincent." "Hmm?" "For carrying me." "What choice did I have? Now hold still." He produced the Cure materia from his pocket. "What the – hey, you had that all along!" "Of course." "Why didn't you use it before? We could've stayed longer." He didn't respond. "Oh, I get it. Party pooper." "How's the ankle?" Yuffie stood and rotated her foot in a circle a few times. "Perfect!" "Good." "So, how about lunch?" "Very well." "Not here, though. This place is booooring!" "Then where do you suggest?" "Someplace a girl can get a drink. Hey! How about Tifa's bar?"

Vincent crossed his arms. "You want to go back to Edge just for lunch?" "Well… I thought maybe we could hang out there for a couple days." "Why?" Yuffie looked guilty. "I thought… you might like to see some of your friends." Vincent turned his back to her. "So, I was right. You are here at Nanaki's request." "I said I wasn't," Yuffie retorted stubbornly, "and I meant it." Vincent sighed. "I don't need this, Yuffie. I refuse to be a charity case." "Vincent Valentine," she said sternly, "Did it ever occur to you that I'm here because I _want _to be? Or that your friends miss you? How many voicemails did you have on your phone besides mine?" He turned then. "I'm sorry," he said gently. Yuffie's face softened. "It's okay, Vince. So, will you come with me?" He nodded. "To make it up to you. All of you." "Not because you want to?" Vincent was torn between the comfort of his privacy and the suddenly very strong desire to see his friends. He had to admit, he missed the old days when they all traveled together, relied on one another. "And because I want to go," he said, nodding. "Honest?" "To a fault." "That's not entirely accurate," she said, indicating the materia, still in his hand. He pocketed it quickly and forced a thin smile. "Let's go." Yuffie let out a whoop and tore down the path ahead of him.

It was a slow ride to Edge. The chocobo they'd borrowed in Cosmo Canyon was old and unwilling to run for any measurable distance. "Can't this damn bird move any faster?" Yuffie complained. "Yuffie, you're yelling in my ear." "Oops, sorry, Vince. But, seriously, what's up with this slow-poke?" "The elders in Cosmo Canyon don't have much need for racing chocobos," Vincent mused. "Huh," Yuffie returned thoughtfully. "I never thought of that. I knew we should've rented a car."

Just then, the chocobo balked at something. Vincent sat like a statue, his head cocked to one side, listening. "What is it, Vince?" Yuffie whispered hoarsly. He didn't answer and, instead, slid off the chocobo in a fluid movement that caught Yuffie off guard. "Hey, where are you going?" The chocobo stamped anxiously; only its age and obedient nature kept it from bolting. "Get down, Yuffie, and don't let the chocobo run off." "But what _is it_?" she demanded. "I don't know yet. Stay here." "Vince, don't leave me with this stupid bird How do you expect me to defend myself if I have to hold onto this thing!" She pulled her shuriken free with her spare hand and squinted into the trees. "I won't let you out of my sight," Vincent promised before transforming into a strange swirling form and vanishing into the forest.

Yuffie stood with the chocobo reins in one hand and her weapon in the other. The chocobo fidgeted uneasily and pressed its beak against her face. "It's okay," she whispered. "Just take it easy, big fella." She glanced around.

A moment later, Vincent stepped out from the tree line, Cerberus already holstered. Yuffie questioned him with her eyes. He shrugged. "Whatever it was, it's gone now." He hopped lightly back onto the chocobo and hauled Yuffie up after him. "You didn't see anything?" she asked uneasily. Vincent shook his head. "The chocobo's calmed down, as well," he said. Suddenly Yuffie threw a mild punch into Vincent's arm. "Dammit, Vince, you said you wouldn't let me out of your sight! Next time you go wondering into the woods, I'm going with you!" Vincent shrugged. "As you wish. Shall we continue?" "Fine." "By the way," he added cooly, "this chocobo is female." "Huh?" "Generally, you wouldn't refer to a female as 'fella.'" Yuffie smiled and rested her forehead against Vincent's back. "Let's keep going, smart guy," she said.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: On Edge

The pair of heroes walked at a casual pace through the bustling streets of Edge. They'd put the chocobo in a stable and paid for three days' board for the animal. They were nearing Seventh Heaven when Yuffie glanced sidelong at her quiet companion. "Hey, Vince?" "Yes?" "You got a cut, right? I mean, after we beat Sephiroth, Cloud paid everyone. We split the money. You got yours, right?" "Why do you ask?" "Well, everyone else went out and spent it. Cid built the Shera. Tifa rebuilt Seventh Heaven. Barrett started his alternative fuel business."

"What's your point, Yuffie?" "Well, you're just squatting at Cosmo Canyon. Before that, you just seemed to wonder around. You stayed in Kalm for a while, but never bought a house." "Is that a problem?" "No, but… Aren't you ever going to get your own place?" "Actually, I was thinking of fixing up the old Shinra Manor in Nibleheim." Yuffie gave him a look. "That was a joke, Yuffie." "Coulda fooled me, Oh Sinister One." Vincent stopped suddenly and Yuffie had taken a few more steps before she noticed and whirled around to face him. "Did I say something wrong?" "…Yuffie, do you really find me _sinister_?" Yuffie raised an eyebrow. "Well, not anymore." "Not anymore?" "You have to admit, Vincent, you do kind of resemble an evil villain in appearance." "Hmm." "But that's one of the things that makes you so cool," she said bashfully. "Check it out. I walk down the street with you, and everyone gets the hell outta our way. Nobody wants to fuck with _Vincent Valentine_." Yuffie beamed up at him, but the smile quickly faded when he didn't answer. "Come on, Vince. Don't tell me you don't dress like that on purpose." He looked up then. "You're right. I needed an outer visage to match the monster inside." His claw hand moved to his chest then as he bowed his head.

A moment later he felt Yuffie's tiny arms fold around him. He froze, and realized he hadn't been this close to another living being since the short-lived affair with Lucrecia. "Yuffie?" "I like you the way you are, Vincent. Don't ever change." "Hmph." It was awkward for him, but he returned her embrace. "Right back at you, kid."

Ten minutes later they were seated near the window in Tifa's bar. It was crowded, and noisy, but Tifa seemed to have things under control. Yuffie had insisted they stop for a light lunch out of her knapsack during the journey. They'd ordered tea instead.

"So, how've you been, Vince?" Yuffie asked, head resting in her hands on the table. Vincent's lips pursed. "I'm fine," he said sternly. "Okay," Yuffie said, holding her hands up. "I know you don't wanna talk about yourself. I'll drop it." "Thanks." "No prob." "What about you, Yuffie?" "Me?" Vincent cleared his throat. "How have you been?" "Oh… You know, fine. Dad's trying to marry me off, but I told him I'd never come home if he tried it again. He hasn't." "Marry you off?" "Yeah, you know, like pre-arranged marriage. I was like, hell no!" "That's… very old fashioned." "Tell me about it." "I think you were wise to refuse." Yuffie blushed. "R-really?" "Mmm. Arranged marriages are rarely happy marriages." "Oh. Yeah, that's true…" The sound of laughter caught her attention.

"Yo, Vince. Don't look now, but those girls are staring at you. I think they're from your fan club." Vincent glimpsed coolly over his shoulder, catching sight of the four girls in the corner of the bar. They giggled and looked away quickly. "Hmph. They wouldn't even _have_ a fan club for me if they knew the truth." Yuffie grinned sheepishly. "I wouldn't be so sure about that, Thou Sinister One."

Vincent gave her a strange look. "Okay, okay, I won't call you that anymore. Promise!" "I don't mind so much," he said. "Huh?" "I mean it's alright if you want to call me that. I've been called much worse." "Oh, right… I'm sorry, Vince." "Don't be. I'm not as fragile as some people like to think." Yuffie smiled then. "I hope you're not referring to _me_, Vincent Valentine! Because I certainly don't think of you as 'fragile.' In fact, you're probably the toughest of all the Avalanche guys." Vincent smirked. "Is that so?" "Yup. Like, take Cloud for instance. He's pretty badass, but even he broke down a few times. Cid? He's all prickles on the outside, but I bet a shrink would have him crying on the floor in a matter of minutes. That dude has some serious issues…" "Cid? Crying?" "And then there's Barrett. O-M-G what a crybaby!" "Yuffie-" "And Red XIII, well, he's alright but he did get a little emo there for a while." "Yuffie, you should really watch what you say about your friends."

Her tiny shoulders fell dramatically. "Sorry. I was only using them as examples to make you feel better about yourself." Yuffie felt a strange hand settle on hers and looked up with wide eyes to see Vincent _smiling _at her warmly. "I know," he said. "Thank you." She blushed and began glancing around the room nervously. "No problem, heh-heh." Vincent, sensing her discomfort, pulled his hand away and leaned back in his seat.

"Anyway," she said, "my point was, you handle your problems better than most people. Even though we all knew you were hurting, you never let it show. That kind of thing takes a lot of strength." Vincent nodded. "I'd never expect another person to bear my burdens. Not even my closest friends." "Then you _do _think of us as friends?" "The only ones I've got."

Their tea arrived then and for a few moments they sat in silence over their steaming cups. Finally, Yuffie perked up. "Oh yeah!" "Hmm?" "Aren't you going to go talk to those girls?" Vincent rolled his eyes. "Come oooon, Vince! You need a girlfriend!" "Shhh, Yuffie. Someone will hear you." "Ooooh, don't tell me you're scared of girls." "Scared, no. Just… Not sure I'm ready to start anything new." Yuffie shifted in her chair, leaning closer. "Is it… Lucrecia?" He shrugged. "No. I think it's just me." "Afraid of commitment?" "No." "Oh. I get it." "What?" "Fear of abandonment. Same reason you never call any of your Avalanche friends – not even _me _– and the same reason you won't let anybody inside that red cape of yours." "Inside my cape?" "Figure of speech." "First time I've ever heard it." "Okay, it's a _new _figure of speech. I made it up." Vincent chuckled lightly, looking rather pleased with himself. "You know, Vince," Yuffie said in between sips of tea. "You're funny. People don't know that about you." "I wasn't always a demon-infested vampire, Yuffie. I was older than you are now when Hojo killed me, and my… _existence_ had been relatively normal up til then." "Badda-bing! See? It's dry, but it's definitely humor. You could score a date, easy." "I'm comfortable right here," he said matter-of-factly. There was still a warmth in his eyes which made Yuffie blush slightly. Not wanting him to notice, she quickly rose from the table. "'Scuse me, Vince. Nature calls."

Once in the restroom, she splashed cool water on her face, hoping to calm the redness. It wasn't really working, she realized. What was going on here? She'd known Vincent for years and suddenly she had a crush on him? _Ridiculous_, she told herself. _Out of the question. I'm the last person Vincent would consider_. Even so, she found it more difficult to look him in the eye once she returned to the table. Even more disappointing was the silence that ensued for the remainder of their meeting, which wasn't long.

Vincent walked Yuffie to the inn where they'd both be staying. Yuffie was exhausted from the long journey, but knew Vincent would be up most of the night. "Thanks, Vincent." "My pleasure." "I, um." "Yes?" "I had a good time today." "The feeling is mutual, Yuffie." He sounded sincere. "Are you alright?" he asked. "You haven't looked well since we got our tea." "I'm just tired," she insisted defensively. "No worries, okay?" "Very well." He turned to leave without another word. "Don't forget, we're meeting in the monument in the square, ten A-M!" Vincent waved over his shoulder in acknowledgement. _Typical Vincent_, she thought. _Doesn't even say goodbye_. She smiled then, realizing his unusual behavior only endeared him further to her. "Oh boy," she sighed, turning into the inn. "I've got issues."

Vincent, having little need of sleep, had no better place to be that night than back at the bar. Tifa was wiping down the counter when he entered. "Welcome back, Vincent." Tifa grabbed a clean glass as he approached the bar. "What'll it be?" "Tifa. May I… Do you have a moment to spare?" She grinned and set the glass down before coming around the bar. "Sure. I was just about to close up, anyway." She locked the door and flipped the Open sign to Closed before returning to the bar and taking a seat beside her most elusive of comrades. "So, what's up?" "Tifa, how would you describe me to someone who didn't know me?" Tifa's gentle face scrunched in confusion. "What do you mean?" "Please. Just answer the question. Be honest." "Well," she said seriously, "you're tall, slender. Black hair, red eyes." "Are my eyes unsettling?" "No more than Cloud's, I suppose. Personally, I kind of like it." "Go on," he pressed. She shrugged. "What else is there?" He seized the fabric of his cape between thumb and fore-claw, then let it drift back to his side. "Oh, the clothes. Well, you're certainly… original." "Would you call me frightening, or intimidating?" "Intimidating, maybe. What's this all about, Vincent?" "It's nothing. Thank you, Tifa." With that, he rose from the barstool and headed for the exit. "Anytime," Tifa called after him before he disappeared through the doors.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: Time For a Change

It was well after midnight when Vincent finally decided to turn in for the night. The innkeeper was asleep behind the counter, and so he made his was silently up the stairs and found the door matching the number on his room key. It was a larger inn than most he'd stayed at; there were fifty rooms altogether. His was on the third and top floor. It was large, with a kitchenette, a fireplace – which, oddly enough, already had a fire burning in it – and two beds.

As he shut the door, something stirred. Vincent did a double take when he spotted her there. On the bed furthest from him, Yuffie lay curled into a ball on top of the blankets. _There must be a mistake. We rented separate rooms, didn't we? _Yuffie opened one eye, then jumped to her knees on the bed, startled. "Vincent?" "Yuffie?" "What are you doing here?" He held up his room key, the numbered tag dangling. She grabbed her key from the nightstand and gasped. "That guy behind the counter must be a complete MORON!" she shouted. Vincent shook his head. "Never mind, Yuffie. I'll go wake him and explain." "No, forget it. You can crash here. We'll deal with it in the morning." "Are you sure?" "We all used to share a room back in the days when we were altogether. What's the diff?" She hoped it wasn't too obvious that she wanted him to stay. "Very well. Thank you, Yuffie." "No problem."

Vincent unbuckled his holster and hung it on a rack on the wall, then moved to the empty bed. _At least there's a privacy screen_, he thought, pulling the collapsible screen out between the two beds. He let out a sigh as he unclasped the collar of his cloak and hung it over the screen.

The bed was firm, much to his approval. He lay back, arms folded across his stomach, and closed his eyes. He could hear the springs of Yuffie's mattress squeaking and rolled his eyes at the irritating noise. Then the squeaking stopped, and there was a gentle thud as Yuffie slid out of bed.

She peeked around the privacy screen at him. He knew she couldn't really see him, but her eyes were searching the blackness in his direction. "What is it, Yuffie?" "Where are you?" "Here," he said, stretching his arm out so she could find him. She grasped the claw and moved closer, sitting down beside him. "What are you doing?" he asked. "Can't you sleep?" "I've been asleep for hours already. Are you too tired to talk?" Vincent flipped his bedside lamp on then. "Is something on your mind?" "Maybe. I don't know." "What is it, Yuffie?" "Vincent, do you like me? I mean, we're friends, aren't we?" "What's this about?" "It's just that, when I come to see you, you don't seem to have a very good time. I try to plan these big adventures for us, but you don't really have fun, do you?" Vincent thought about this for a moment. Fun hadn't exactly been on the top of his to-do list, but he had to admit, Yuffie's excursions were at least as enjoyable as anything else he could think of doing. It was nice to fight alongside someone again.

Before he could answer, Yuffie said, "It's okay. Nobody in Avalanche likes me very much. I've always known that. It didn't matter at first. I was after material, and that was all that mattered. Once I got to know all of you, though, I realized you were a nice group of people. I wanted you all to like me. Of course, I screwed that up by stealing all the material that day. Everyone acts nice, but I don't think any of them really like having me around." After a long silence, Vincent said, "I enjoy your company, Yuffie." "Do you really mean that?" "I wouldn't have said it otherwise. It's true, when we were after Sephiroth, you did cause a lot of trouble. But you were very young. I cannot speak for the others, but I do not hold it against you." "That means a lot to me, Vincent."

He looked down to find Yuffie was still holding his claw in her hand. He moved the thumb of it to brush over her fingers affectionately. She smiled and stood up. "I guess I should get back to bed. We've got things to do tomorrow." "Oh?" "Yup. And since I know you'll be up long before me, why don't we just plan to meet at the Seventh Heaven around ten?" "I'll be there," he agreed. "Good." She hesitated a moment, then quickly bent forward and planted a brief kiss on his cheek before scurrying back to her own bed. "Goodnight," she mumbled through the screen. "Goodnight, Yuffie."

Vincent found he couldn't sleep. Not wanting to disturb Yuffie, he slipped out the window of their room and pulled himself gracefully onto the roof. It was a warm night, and quiet. Normally he would have found peace in this, but something was missing. Having Yuffie around made him realize he'd missed her and he had to admit he was looking forward to spending the day with her tomorrow.

_Why did she kiss me_? he wondered in his silence. She'd never shown that kind of affection for him before. He didn't know what to make of it, nor how he felt about it. If it was only a friendly sign of affection, it would be for the best. Yet, somehow, that thought left him disappointed. He'd never considered Yuffie anything but a friend and partner – in fact, until recently, he'd never considered her anything but a necessary annoyance. So where were these new feelings coming from? Of all people, why this young girl? Even disregarding the decades he spent sleeping, she was much too young for him. Then again, what did age matter, considering his modifications? In the end, she would grow old and die long before he. He'd considered that before, with regard to all his Avalanche friends. Some day he would be the only one left. Then again, was that even true? Had Hojo really eliminated the natural aging process in him? Perhaps the long sleep had spared him from it until now. Perhaps he would now age accordingly, along with all his comrades… along with Yuffie.

His thoughts moved in circles until well after dawn. The street below was coming to life with business owners and morning workers. He moved gracefully to the edge of the roof and fell silently to the street below. The shops would be opening soon, and he had a bit of shopping to do before meeting Yuffie.

She was already seated at a table when he entered the bar. Vincent stopped a moment, realizing she wasn't alone. Cloud, Tifa, Marlene, Denzel and Barrett were seated at a large table with her. Cloud glanced right at him without recognition. He wasn't sure if that was a good sign, or a bad one. Either way, he'd made up his mind to do this, and so he strode forward in his usual nonchalant manner.

"Is this seat taken?" he asked placing his hand on the back of the empty chair.

"Vincent?" several voices said at once. Not knowing what to say, he simply took his seat between Barrett and Denzel. The little boy gazed curiously up at him. "I remember you," he said quietly. "Did you buy a phone yet?" Vincent nodded and pulled the object in question from his pocket, handing it to the child. He was awkwardly aware of the others trying not to stare. Only Barrett lacked the manners which might have otherwise kept him quiet.

"Yo, Vince, what's with the get-up?" he said, half laughing. "I think he looks very nice," Tifa interjected, though her eyes were as full of bafflement as anyone else's.

"Perhaps they're not quite my style," he said, gazing down at his new outfit. The shirt was a black button up with white pencil stripes; the pants were just denim. He'd pulled his hair back and tied it with the red sash he normally wore wrapped around his forehead. His demonic eyes were hidden by dark glasses. Only the claw, once his left hand, remained unchanged and unhidden. What else could he do? No glove would fit over it and there was no removing it without surgery which would leave him truly handicapped.

The conversations that had ceased abruptly upon his arrival slowly picked back up around him. Only Yuffie remained silent. She seemed to be examining him. "What's the matter?" he said, noticing her frown. She shook her head and smiled unnaturally. "Nothing! It's just… What made you decide to do that?" Vincent shrugged. "I thought it was about time I hung up the super villain costume." She opened her mouth as if about to say something else, but was interrupted by Tifa asking her how long she'd be staying in Edge.

It was an awkward reunion for Vincent. Already he was regretting the change in wardrobe. Fortunately, it wasn't long before Tifa's patrons began pouring in and she and Cloud excused themselves from the table. Denzel slid Vincent his phone. "I added my number," he said, smiling. "Just in case you need me for anything." Vincent smiled a little. "Thanks." "No prob," the boy said, sliding down from his chair. "Marlene, wanna go play?" Marlene shook her head. "I want to spend some more time with Papa. Maybe later." The little boy shrugged and jogged away. It was just the four of them now. Barrett and Marlene were busy catching up, so naturally Yuffie's attention was centered on Vincent. He found it difficult to meet her gaze, though she didn't appear to be having the same problem. After a few moments of awkward silence, she leaned across the table. "C'mon, Vincent. Let's get some fresh air."

After bidding farewell to the others, he followed Yuffie out into the street. She was unusually quiet, and they walked in silence for some time before she finally spun around to face him. "Okay, seriously. What's the deal?" "What do you mean?" "Hello?" She gestured at him dramatically. "Are you having a mid-life crisis or something?" "Was that a jab about my age?" "Don't try to distract me, Vincent. I wasn't so worried about you before, but maybe I should be." Vincent pulled off the sunglasses and slid them into the breast pocket of his shirt before looking down at Yuffie.

"I just thought it was time for a change." "This isn't… because of what I said before, is it?" Vincent shrugged. "That's a yes, isn't it? Oh, Vince." "Yuffie?" She took his hands then and rose up on tip-toe in an attempt to stand at eye-level with him. "Listen to me," she said. "The most important thing in life is to be true to yourself. Don't go out of your way to please other people. You'll only end up losing yourself in the process." Vincent considered this a moment. Meanwhile, Yuffie released his hands and began walking again, expecting him to follow. "What if I've already lost myself?" he said quietly. Yuffie turned slowly. "Yuffie, I… I've settled my past, as you said, but still… I can't seem to face my demons. Hojo stole my entire identity. Do you know who I was before I was this?" He held up his claw hand menacingly. "I was a normal young man, with a promising future. I might've been hunting Avalanche alongside Reno and Rude if it hadn't been for…" "I'm glad you weren't," Yuffie whispered. She moved toward him slowly. "Otherwise, we'd probably all be dead." She smiled softly then. "Vincent, I don't know who or what you were before. I only know what you are now. I like that guy, and I don't want him to go anywhere." She touched his face then and gazed up at him with her large brown eyes.

She wanted him to kiss her, he realized. More shocking than that was the fact that he very much wanted to kiss her, too. He still hadn't decided whether or not this was the right thing, but at the moment, that seemed unimportant. He slid his arm around her shoulders and leaned toward her, closing his eyes tightly.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi, everyone! I just thought I'd pop in to say I really appreciate everyone who has read my story so far, saved it to their favorites, or left me such nice and helpful reviews.**

**I really hope I'm doing justice to my (and your) favorite Final Fantasy characters. **

**Best regards,**

**C. Buttons**

Chapter Five – No Rest for the Wicked

Their lips had merely brushed together when Yuffie went limp in his arms. He froze, spotting the dart protruding from the back of her neck. Instincts took over; there was no time to hunt down the attacker. He had to get Yuffie to a hospital. He fled with her, rushing through the busy streets of Edge until he arrived at the nearest emergency medical center. Once inside, the nurses laid Yuffie's seemingly lifeless body onto a gurney and wheeled her away. He was not permitted to follow.

As he sat in the waiting room, his entire body was shaking. _What now_? he asked himself. _Stay with Yuffie, or go after whoever did this to her_?

After waiting nearly half an hour in the lobby, Vincent approached the admissions desk. The woman behind the counter was turned around in her chair, talking quietly on her mobile phone. He waited a moment, until it became apparent the clerk was on a personal call. "Excuse me," he said sternly. The woman spun in the chair and whispered something into her phone before placing it beside her on the desk.

"Yes? May I help you?" She seemed irritated by the interruption.

"I brought someone in half an hour ago and haven't heard from the doctor. Yuffie Kisaragi."

"One moment please," she uttered, clacking away at the keyboard. "Ah, yes, she is being seen by Doctor Kurin. May I ask what your relationship to the patient is?"

"I'm just a friend. She doesn't have any family in town."

"Well, I'm sorry, Sir, but we can't allow visitation except from family members."

Vincent frowned. "But, as I stated, she has no family in town. She was struck by a dart standing next to me. I need to know if she's alright."

"I can page the doctor to see if she's awake. If we get the patient's permission, we can let you in to see her."

"Please do."

"One moment please." She pulled the glass window shut, and finished her private phone call before lifting the receiver on the desk phone and tapping the desk casually as she waited for an answer. She punched a few more numbers in before hanging the phone up and pulling the window open again. "I'm sorry, Sir, but there was no answer. I've left a call-back request for the doctor. He should be getting back to me within twenty minutes or so."

Vincent thought quickly. He couldn't allow whoever did this to Yuffie to flee the city, but he couldn't leave her alone, either, in case she was in danger even in the hospital. He thanked the clerk, though she hardly deserved it, and went back to the lobby to make a call of his own.

Cloud promised to be at the hospital in ten minutes' time. Vincent met him at the front doors. "Keep an eye out for suspicious characters," he warned.

"Understood," Cloud replied seriously. "Do you want to take my bike?"

Vincent eyed the Fenrir, then shook his head. "I'll have better luck on foot."

"You're probably right. Good luck. I won't let anything happen to her."

"Thanks." With that, Vincent made his way back to the scene of the attack to look for clues.

Once there, he calculated the rough trajectory of the dart and made his way to the most probable sight of the shooting – the roof top of a nearby building. He saw nothing to give him any aid in finding Yuffie's attacker, but as he looked around, he noted the excellent vantage point this spot was. From here, he could see the street in nearly every direction. He watched the foot traffic below for a moment, hoping somebody or something would stand out to him. Then, somebody did.

The young man turned and ran the moment Vincent spotted him. It did him little good to do so, for Vincent was soon hot on his trail. Soon, the suspect found himself in a dead-end allyway, with Vincent's shadow falling menacingly over him.

"Please, don't shoot me," the young man pleaded.

Vincent seized him roughly by the throat and held him against the wall. "Who are you?" he demanded, his red eyes flaring. "Why are you after Yuffie?"

"Who's Yuffie?" came the choked response. Vincent squeezed him harder. "I… don't… know…"

"Who do you work for?" Vincent pressed; it was clear this was a man for hire. If he could lead Vincent to whoever had paid him to shoot Yuffie, then perhaps…

"D-doc…"

Vincent loosened his grip on the man's throat slightly.

"Doctor Orias hired me," he panted. "But I don't know nothing about this Yuffie."

"Then why did you shoot her?"

"Shoot her? Shit… I'm sorry. I wasn't after your friend."

"Then who were you after?" Vincent was shouting now; it was unlike him to let himself get out of control, but the rage was building.

"I'm not supposed to… aacckk!" Vincent crushed the throat again, then released it slowly. "Okay, okay. Please don't kill me! I'll tell you everything I know." Vincent let him drop hard to the ground and waited for the answers he needed.

"This doctor made some kind of clone. Some woman he used to work for. I don't know why. I just know the clone got out. He hired me, and a bunch of other guys, to find her and bring her back."

"And yet you shot a friend of mine by mistake. How did that happen?"

"You're Vincent Valentine, right? Doctor Orias gave me a picture of you. Said the clone might be under your protection."

"Why?"

"I don't know. He didn't say. Please, let me go. I-I won't be back. You'll never see me again."

Vincent poised the claw in front of the man's heaving chest, ready to thrust. His lip twitched uncontrollably. The man began mumbling incoherantly, most likely praying for his life.

With a deep sigh, Vincent released his grip on the attacker. "If I do, _this _will be the last thing you ever see," Vincent growled, swiping at the man's chest with his claw. His shirt was shredded, but no blood was drawn. "Now get out of here."

"Yes. I will. Thank you, Mr. Valentine. Thank you." Vincent stood stiffly as the young man fled. He thought a moment about his next move. Something told him to go back to the hospital. Maybe Cloud would be able to offer him some assistance in finding this Doctor Orias.

He'd made a stop by his hotel room before returning to the emergency room and changed back into his normal clothes. Normal for him, anyway. The woman at the desk greeted him with shock. "You're Vincent Valentine, aren't you?" she exclaimed as he approached. "I knew I recognized you! I'm in your fan club. I'm sorry I wasn't much help earlier. Your friend's awake now. She asked for you."

Vincent grunted. "Which room?"

"Two-oh-three. Down the hall, second door on the left."

"Thank you."

"No problem, hun. Just let me know if there's anything else…" Vincent was already on his way down the hallway. He stopped in front of door 203 and let out a deep sigh before turning the handle.

Cloud was just inside the door, hand ready on the hilt of the Ultima Weapon. "Oh," he sighed. "Vincent. Yuffie's awake."

"I know. Thank you." He stepped past Cloud and approached Yuffie's bedside. She was pale in the face, and her eyes were barely able to open.

"Vincent," she said, smiling weakly. "What happened?"

"I was able to track down the man who shot you," he said sternly. "He gave me the information I needed. They won't get away with this."

"You didn't… kill him, did you?"

"No, but… perhaps I should have."

Cloud came closer then. "So, who wants Yuffie?" he asked.

"It wasn't Yuffie they were after. It was a mistake."

"That figures," Yuffie moaned.

"At least we don't have to worry about it now," Cloud said assuringly. Vincent knew better, but held his tongue. He didn't want to worry Yuffie with the other details just yet. He would speak to Cloud in private later, he decided.

Cloud's phone rang and he excused himself, leaving Vincent and Yuffie alone in the little hospital room.

"You look sad, Vince," Yuffie muttered quietly.

"I was worried about you. I thought… But you're alright?"

"It was just a tranquilizer dart," she said. "But it made me throw up. Cloud had to mop me up a little."

"I'm sorry, Yuffie."

"It's okay… It interrupted us, though, didn't it?"

Vincent blushed slightly. "Did it?"

Yuffie laughed, despite her condition. "Yes, it did. Don't worry, though. I won't try that again."

"I see."

"Did I ever tell you, I'm the president of your fan club, Vince?"

"You… are?"

"Yup. I guess I had a little crush on you. I always thought you were so cool. It's silly, I know. Why would you be interested in me?"

"Yuffie…"

"You don't have to say anything, Mister Sinister. Maybe we can just pretend nothing happened. I don't want this to mess up our friendship."

Vincent hesitated, but knew he probably wouldn't find another moment like this. "Maybe I do."

Yuffie blinked. "You do what?"

"Want this to mess up our friendship." He felt vulnerable, and it was not a comfortable feeling. Then again, what is life without taking risks?

Yuffie sat up in her bed, her mouth open in surprise. "Are we talking about the same thing here?"

Vincent sat on the edge of her bed. "I certainly hope so," he whispered. He leaned in to kiss her then, and felt his pulse quicken when their lips touched.

It was crazy, and without warning. Yet he could not deny his feelings. He broke the kiss reluctantly and tried to judge her expression. She seemed… to glow. She opened her arms to him then, and he pulled her to him. There weren't any words to express these new feelings, and so neither of them spoke.

After a long time, Yuffie pulled away from him slightly and put her lips near his ear. "I feel much better now," she whispered.

Vincent laughed quietly. "Glad to hear it. Would you like to check out now?"

"Definitely."

Yuffie's doctor had instructed her to remain in bed until the following morning. Upon her request, Vincent made a quick stop at the video rental store and borrowed three of her favorites films. He glanced at the list she'd scribbled for him, before letting Cloud take her back to the hotel. Soda - grape. Popcorn – extra butter. Chips – cheddar cheese. Licorice – _red only_. He sighed, wondering how the stayed so fit with such eating habits.

As he reached the steps of the inn, he caught himself smiling. It was almost humorous how easily he was adjusting to being in a relationship again. Well, perhaps 'relationship' wasn't the right word. He was not certain of their exact status; he only knew he couldn't wait to get upstairs.

He took the steps lightly, and rushed to fit the key into the lock. Only seconds, he told himself. Mere seconds until he would see her child-like face beaming radiantly at him.

The door was unlocked; he'd have to say something about that. But first, he was going to enjoy this moment. He pushed the door open gracefully with his free hand, then froze. A cold panic swept over his entire body as his eyes darted desperately across the suite.

The room was empty.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Verification

Vincent set the grocery bags down carefully on the table and produced his mobile. Cloud wasn't answering. Neither was Tifa. He tried again, dialing the numbers instead of using the speed dial. Nothing.

He clutched the still open phone tightly, nearly crushing it. Then he remembered… He opened his contact list and found Denzel's number. It rang once… twice…

"Hello?"

"Denzel? This is Vincent Valentine."

"Whoa. You're actually calling me?"

"Denzel, I need your help. Where is Cloud?"

"I don't know. I'm at a friend's house right now. If you want, I can call him."

"He's not answering his phone."

"How about Tifa?"

"The same."

"Well, I'm on my way home. I can tell them you called."

"Thanks."

"Yeah, no problem, Mr. Valentine."

Vincent snapped the phone shut. Dammit. Where could they be? He cursed himself for relying too heavily on others, and started toward the door. He'd find Yuffie himself.

Just then, the toilet flushed in the next room. Yuffie came out, dragging her feet and wiping her mouth. "Oh, I feel much better."

"Yuffie?"

"Hey, Vince." She skipped over and practically dove head-first into one of the paper sacks.

"Yuffie…" He was still trembling when she reemerged with an armful of snacks.

"You got _everything_!" she exclaimed, bouncing excitedly.

Vincent reached out with unnatural speed and pulled Yuffie against his chest tightly.

"Vince… You're squishing me."

He loosened his grip only slightly. "I'm sorry."

"Vincent? What's the matter?"

He sighed. This was absurd. Finally he released his hold, and she took a step back warily, still clutching a six pack of soda and the bag of licorice. She looked almost frightened. That was the last thing he wanted.

"I thought… you were gone."

"I was just in the bathroom. The doctor said the nausea might last the rest of the day. I didn't mean to worry you."

Vincent rested his weight against the back of a chair and let his gaze drop to the floor.

"Are you okay, Vincent?"

"You know… I almost killed that man who shot you. It was stupid to let him go, after what he did, but I forced myself to show mercy."

"But that's a good thing. Without compassion, we're just animals."

He nodded in agreement. "But, just now, when you weren't here, I was afraid… afraid he had come back for you."

Yuffie set her snacks down on the table and stepped closer to Vincent. "But he didn't, did he? You did the right thing, letting him go."

"I'm not so certain."

"Well, I am! I'm proud of you. And one more thing! Even if he _had _come back, it wouldn't have been _your fault_. Understand?"

"No."

"Vincent…" Her tone was serious now. "You carried that weight around with you for a long, long time… And even when you realized it hadn't been your burden to bear, you still couldn't forgive yourself entirely. You're doing it all over again now." She came closer and took his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her. "Things happen. Sometimes they're bad things. That's how the world works. If you go through life blaming yourself for every little thing you might have prevented, you'll never be happy."

He didn't answer. There was nothing to say. He'd been over this in his mind a hundred times. It was in his nature to shoulder the blame, and he didn't know if he could ever change.

She smiled then, reclaiming her junk food haul. "Come on, Vince, let's watch a movie. It'll calm you down."

Grateful she had changed the subject, albeit rather abruptly, he pushed off the chair and grabbed the stack of films. "Alright. Get into bed and I'll put one on."

He sat on his own bed while the movie played, glancing sidelong every once in a while at Yuffie. Her eyes were glued to the screen as she munched happily on the snacks he'd brought home. His concentration lay elsewhere. He watched the windows and door as Yuffie was absorbed into her movie.

Nobody would touch her again, he swore, mistake or no mistake. Occasionally his thoughts would return to the mysterious Doctor Orias, whoever he was, and his fugitive clone. Something about the name seemed familiar, though he told himself it was only because it had been on his mind all day.

He looked up then to find Yuffie standing beside his bed. She wore a blue tank top and pajama pants with a repeating moogle pattern. In her hand was the bag of licorice.

"What's the matter?" he asked, noting the look of disappointment on her face.

"You got red _and _black ones," she pouted, holding up the candy. "I only like the red ones."

"Ah, yes, but you see…" Vincent took the bag and ripped into it with the thumb of his claw. He carefully removed a black piece and bit into it. "I like the black pieces."

Yuffie smiled. "I didn't think you even liked candy."

"I don't, much. But, on occasion, a stick of black licorice can be most satisfying."

Yuffie laughed. "Weird-o." Vincent, despite his tightly strung nerves, smiled at her. He patted the spot next to him on the bed. Yuffie crawled, instead, into his lap and leaned back against his shoulder as the film started. Vincent folded his arms over her and kissed her ear gently.

The next movie was an old martial arts flick about – what else? – a ninja princess whose skills were matched only by her incredible beauty. Despite her doctor's orders to stay in bed, Yuffie would occasionally jump to her feet and join in on the poorly choreographed fight scenes. Vincent would calmly remind her of her weakened condition and she would climb back onto the bed with him and force herself to sit still... at least until the next on-screen battle.

Finally, the action was squelched by an over-the-top love scene. Yuffie was enthralled yet again as the on-screen lovers declared their forbidden love for each other. Vincent wondered if there was some correlation between this sappy scene and Yuffie's feelings for him. It troubled him to think that he might be little more than a morbid curiosity to the still very young woman curled up beside him. He knew teenaged girls sometimes _thought _they wanted things they considered unobtainable. When Yuffie realized how serious relationships could be, would she change her mind?

He pushed the unpleasant thought aside just as Yuffie sighed romantically. The heroin and her secret lover were swearing an oath to remain faithful to one another, despite their inevitable parting. His own ninja princess slid her hand inside his then and leaned against him affectionately. He kissed her temple and rested his chin on top of her head, finding himself all too comfortable.

By the time the movie had ended, Yuffie was asleep with her arm draped over Vincent and her head on his shoulder. He might've fallen asleep himself, had it not been for the sudden vibration on his hip. He reached for the phone without disturbing Yuffie, and slid off the bed.

"Cloud."

"Vincent, were you trying to call me earlier?"

Briefly the anxiety he'd experienced earlier washed over him again. He glanced at Yuffie, still sleeping soundly before walking to the furthest corner of the room. He spoke softly into the phone. "Cloud, there's something I didn't tell you earlier."

He relayed what the man had said about the escaped clone and mistaking Yuffie for his suspect. Cloud was silent a moment as he put the pieces together.

"Why would he think Yuffie was the clone?" he said at last.

"Evidently, I'm a suspect for harboring their target. Why is anybody's guess."

"I think we should find out."

"Agreed."

"Let's meet up at the bar tomorrow morning to come up with a game plan. I'll see if Reeve can dig anything up about this Doctor Orias."

"Thank you, Cloud. By the way, I was concerned when you and Tifa didn't answer your phones earlier."

"Oh, uh… Tifa and I were… Driving through a tunnel. See you tomorrow, Vincent."

Vincent shut the phone and noticed Yuffie was sitting up looking at him.

"What was all that about?" she asked. "You didn't tell me anything about a clone before."

"I didn't want to worry you."

"Vincent, I'm not a baby. Tell me what's going on."

As he approached her, she settled back onto the bed. He sat beside her and, at length, explained the situation.

"I'm going, too," she said when he'd finished.

"I can't allow that."

"Vincent, don't be ridiculous. You're treating me like a little kid."

"I just want to keep you safe."

"And I want to keep _you _safe, Vincent Valentine. You could use my help. Don't forget I fought beside you against Weapon, against Sephiroth himself."

Vincent sighed then. "I'm sorry, Yuffie. In a way, I suppose I forgot you were the most beautiful and skilled ninja in the world."

She smiled. "Just don't let it happen again!"

"It won't."

"Then it's settled."

"On one condition."

"What's that?"

"You don't get out of bed for the rest of the night. If you're going to be fit tomorrow, you need to rest."

"Argh! Fine! Better throw in the other movie."

"As you wish. Maybe something with less action this time."

Yuffie giggled, snuggling into the bed. As Vincent went to put the movie on, however, she sat up again. "Hey, Vince?"

"Hmm?"

"I was just thinking. How do you want to play this off tomorrow? In front of the others, I mean."

"Play it off?"

"I mean, we probably don't wanna go walking into the bar holding hands or anything."

"I… hadn't really thought of it. If you wish to keep it secret, I won't do anything out of the ordinary."

Yuffie smiled. "You almost sound like you want people to know."

"I'll leave that up to you," Vincent said, approaching her. He sat down on the bed beside her again and put his arm around her shoulder. "Whatever you want to do is fine with me."

"Thanks, Vincent."

Their eyes met then and quite suddenly everything else in the room faded into an afterthought. Vincent kissed her softly at first, then moved his hand to the small of her back. He could feel her winding her fingers into his hair as they gravitated closer to one another, until they were completely entwined. He could taste the cherry flavored licorice on her mouth and decided he liked it after all.

Yuffie let her weight fall against him then, pushing him back against the bed. She leaned in and Vincent closed his eyes. But instead of kissing his lips, her mouth began moving along his throat. She worked one of the buckles of his cloak free, then started on the second.

Vincent let out an almost silent moan as he felt Yuffie's leg slide between his.

Then he reached up to her shoulders and pulled her away from him slightly.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Yuffie, I don't think we should do this yet."

She sat up and gaze him a questioning look. "But why? Did I do something wrong?"

"No, I just… You're so young, Yuffie. I wouldn't feel right."

Yuffie slid off the bed and ran her fingers through her short hair. "Oh no, you did _not _just pull the _age_ card on me, Vincent."

"The what?"

"The age card, you know? Rubbing in my face how much younger I am than you."

"But… it's true, Yuffie. We're just starting this relationship… What if you change your mind in a few weeks? I don't want you to regret anything you do with me."

"You really think that's going to happen?"

"I don't know, Yuffie… Honestly, I can't imagine what you see in me to begin with. You could be with someone your own age. Someone who isn't constantly in some sort of danger. Someone who isn't-"

"Don't you dare say it."

"Yuffie… Doesn't this _bother _you?" He gestured at himself.

She sat down again, her face softening. "Vincent, how many times am I going to have to say this to you? You're perfect just the way you are. I don't want you to go around feeling ashamed of the way you look, or of what's inside you. It wasn't your fault, and it certainly doesn't change the way I feel about you. If anything, it makes you even more unique. You're beautiful, Vincent."

Not knowing what to say to this, Vincent pulled Yuffie into his lap and held her tightly. "Thank you," he whispered.

"I mean it," she insisted. "And I don't want you putting yourself down anymore. Promise?"

"Promise."

"Good. Now that we've got that cleared up, I guess you're right. I don't plan on changing my mind about you, but… I suppose we should wait a while. Maybe you'll change _your _mind."

He kissed her ear lobe and pressed his face against hers. "That's not going to happen, Yuffie."

"I hope not. Now that we're together, I can't imagine not being with you. I know it's only been a day, but this feels right… Like I'm supposed to be with you."

"I feel the same way. Odd that you and I, of all people, should pair up like this."

Yuffie laughed. "Nobody would ever expect it. Cloud and the others are going to be shocked when they find out."

"I thought you wanted to keep it a secret for now."

"Well, maybe I changed my mind." Vincent pulled away from her slightly to give her a questioning look. "I think I want everyone to know I'm with you. Especially those stupid, snickering fan girls. Nyuk, nyuk nyuk."

"Yuffie, I hope you're not planning to use me to inflict suffering on those less fortunate than yourself."

"What about you? Don't you want people to see you with the single white rose of Wutai on your arm?"

He kissed her forehead. "I'd like that very much."

They kissed once again as the movie started playing. This one included a frustrating love triangle between a man's new lover and his wife, whom everyone had presumed dead for the last five years.

Yuffie made a comment about the protagonist's obligation to his wife, no matter who had come along afterward. Vincent wasn't so certain he agreed with this. After all, he himself had found someone new after all the years of mourning for Lucrecia. Part of him would always care for her, he knew, and that was enough. Now he would focus his affections on Yuffie, and enjoy this new relationship for as long as she would have him. His loyalty lay with her.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven: Baiting the Trap

Yuffie and Vincent thought better of the dramatic entrance they'd planned the previous night. This wasn't the time for distractions; someone was watching Vincent, and until they found out why, nobody was safe around him – not even himself.

And so, they reluctantly parted hands before entering the bar, one ahead of the other. Yuffie couldn't help but think everyone in the bar was staring at them, though she told herself it was only her imagination. Only she and Vincent knew the truth, and so it would remain, at least until this crisis was over.

Barrett and Cid were playing cards at the large table reserved for Avalanche reunions, while Cloud and Tifa could be seen standing very closely together in the store room behind the bar. Yuffie smiled awkwardly at her friends, though the paid of gamblers scarcely noted her existence. Vincent, she noted with some relief, was playing his part perfectly. He took a seat in his usual fluid way and rested one arm on the table, never once meeting Yuffie's gaze. He was so convincing, she couldn't help be slightly hurt by his ignoring her.

Cid leaned over to Vincent just as Yuffie took a seat between the old pilot and Barrett. "Hey, man, did ya see what's goin' on over there in the kitchen? Looks like Cloud got a little hanky panky before work this morning." He laughed wickedly and, although nobody else joined him, it didn't seem to dampen his humor.

Yuffie let her eyes wander back to the very private scene taking place behind the bar. She could see Cloud and Tifa laughing at some secret joke just between them. They looked so happy together. It was a shame they'd never gotten together before now, but she was glad for them just the same. She stole a sidelong glance at Vincent and realized she could say the same about her own love life.

When she returned her attention to those present at the table, she saw that Vincent's eyes were on her, though his face was turned away. Her stomach fluttered when she realized he was having as difficult a time ignoring her as she was pretending nothing was different between them.

She sighed longingly; he really was something spectacular to behold. The wild elegance of his jet black hair, matched with his pale skin and those intensely red eyes were enough to make most of his fan girls swoon. But Yuffie had more than just his gorgeous outward appearance; she _knew_ Vincent Valentine, probably better than anyone else in the world. And, she was the only person in the world he'd been romantically involved in for over thirty years.

She fantasized momentarily about adding a new segment to her fan club newsletter. _Dating Vincent Valentine _had a nice ring to it. Stealing another look at him, she noted a look of questioning concern on his face. He seemed to know she was scheming.

She decided against revealing her private life with Vincent; it wouldn't be fair to him to share their intimate secrets, and it certainly wouldn't be fair to all the jealous fan girls of the world who would likely die of heart break to know Vincent was no longer on the market. Maybe she would just tweak one little detail of his fan page; she'd change his relationship status to 'taken.'

While she was daydreaming, Red XIII had approached the table. He greeted everyone in his usual, quiet manner, then situated himself beside Vincent. He whispered something to the gunman, and Vincent replied just as inaudibly. She raised an eyebrow, but Vincent did not meet her gaze again before the meeting began.

Tifa and Cloud took their seats at last, and things got underway.

Vincent carefully explained the situation to those out of the loop. Yuffie felt Tifa's hand rest on her shoulder a moment when he got to the part about her being shot with the dart. "I'm okay," she announced awkwardly when everyone turned to look at her. "Vincent…" She bit her lip, just before spilling the beans about Vincent picking up all her favorite snacks and movies while she rested their _shared _room at the inn. Instead, she simply said, "Vincent got me to the hospital right away. It was no biggie."

When he was finished filling everyone in on the situation, Vincent let Cloud take the stage. The spikey-haired swordsman produced a few sloppily folded sheets of paper from his pocket and flattened them out on the table. "Reeve sent this to me this morning. It's Shinra's dossier on Doctor Minos Orias. He was an intern assigned to Professor Hojo right around the time the real Sephiroth was… born."

Yuffie looked at Vincent; his face was paler than usual, but otherwise completely expressionless. That was a bad sign.

Cloud continued skimming the dossier. "He was suspended briefly for inappropriate conduct concerning a coworker… Hojo filed the complaint, but the coworker in question… was Doctor Lucrecia Crescent." Now everybody was looking at Vincent, waiting for a response. He sat like a statue, his eyes glued to the creased pages in front of Cloud.

"Please," he muttered stiffly, "continue, Cloud."

Cloud cleared his throat and moved on to the next page. "It says he left Shinra shortly before Sephiroth's birth. He was accused on two occasions of trying to terminate Doctor Crescent's pregnancy, but these rumors were never substantiated or confirmed by Shinra, Inc. Shinra lost tabs on him after he left the company and nobody has heard from him since."

"Well, now, ain't that a shame?" Cid said, lighting a cigarette and leaning back in his seat. "Guess we'll just have to find him ourselves."

"Think you can do it, Cid?" Barrett asked hopefully. He seemed to have every confidence in the half-mad pilot.

"Hell, who do you think yer talkin' to? We'll find him, alright."

"How?" Red asked. "If even Shinra doesn't know where he is, how can we hope to locate him?"

Cid scoffed, blowing a huge cloud of smoke across the table. "We lay a trap." Yuffie didn't like the way he was eyeing Vincent. The gunman, however, seemed unconcerned.

Cid spelled out the details of his very dangerous plan. As Yuffie suspected, the bait for his trap was to be Vincent himself. She nearly jumped from her seat in protest, but gritted her teeth and kept silent for Vincent's sake. Vincent and several others – dressed to look like him – would be dispatched throughout Edge, while the rest of the team would act as scouts for unusual behavior in the vicinity.

"That's not going to work!" Yuffie shouted, able to contain her distaste for the ridiculous plan no longer.

"Yuffie?" Cloud seemed surprised at her outburst.

"And besides… Vincent could get hurt. We should be looking for the bad guys, not helping the bad guys find us."

"Kid's got a point," Barrett said thoughtfully. "But I don't see no other way."

Even Tifa seemed to be in on it. "I hate to say it, but I think they're right, Yuffie. We have no clues to follow except a name that even Shinra couldn't trace. Besides, it's not Vincent they're after – it's the runaway clone. I don't think they'll hurt him."

"We don't know that for sure," Yuffie whined. Was she letting too much emotion show? Did she really care at this point? "Look," she stated, more composed now. "I'm not saying it's a bad plan. But Vincent shouldn't be involved. Go ahead and dress some people up if you want to, but Vincent can't be put in danger."

"It's alright, Yuffie." Vincent wasn't looking at her, and instead was staring at the table, his arms now folded casually across his chest. "I can handle myself. Besides, I think Tifa's right. They're not really after me."

"But-"

"Then it's all settled!" Cid exclaimed, slamming his palm down on the table, causing his stack of poker chips to wobble and fall. "Damn."

"But something's bothering me," Tifa said then. "This clone they're looking for… Maybe we can help it."

"What makes you think it's the one who needs helping?" Red XIII philosophized. "The clone could be dangerous. Perhaps we should make an effort to capture it and return it to its creator."

"I have a feeling that's not the case," Tifa insisted. "But, you're right. We need to be careful at any rate."

Yuffie sulked in her chair, her eyes glued on Vincent's. Why would he endanger himself like this? It was crazy. Too crazy for Vincent, who was always so well-planned and cautious.

The group stood as a whole after Cid and the others worked out the minor details of their plot. Yuffie was silent for the remainder of the meeting, and remained seated while the others said their goodbyes.

Vincent had agreed to travel with Cid to a nearby tailor where they could have the Vincent-costumes made. Once Barrett and Red XIII had left, Yuffie shuffled toward the bar and took a seat on one of the tall stools. "Tifa, I need a drink."

Tifa jogged over and grabbed an empty glass. "Beer?"

"Naw. Something strong."

"Is everything alright, Yuffie? You seem agitated."

Before Yuffie could answer, Vincent appeared silently beside her. "Will you be joining us?" he asked.

She hesitated before shaking her head. "I've got some stuff to do."

Vincent looked sincerely hurt. That was a first, she realized. She nearly changed her mind, but before she could speak, Cid slapped a large hand onto Vincent's shoulder. "Hey, that's cool, man. We don't need chicks tagging along with us men-folk, anyway."

"Why, you sexist-"

"I'll see you tonight then, Yuffie." Vincent seemed not to notice Tifa and Cid's shocked expressions, but Yuffie could feel their brains working away to decipher Vincent's statement. She blushed.

"Yeah, tonight. Later."

Once the _men-folk _had taken their leave, Tifa's face burst into a wide grin and she leaned forward against the bar, halting just inches from Yuffie's face. "No… freaking… way."

"What?" Yuffie played innocent.

"You and Vincent?"

"…Dammit, Tifa," she whispered. "Is it that obvious?"

"Just to me," she smiled. "Don't worry. I won't say anything."

"Thanks… I'm not sure it's really a secret, though."

"So, tell me. How did this happen? I've never seen Vincent so much as look at a girl, except for… Well, you know."

"Yeah, don't remind me."

"Oh no. He still has feelings for Lucrecia?"

"I dunno. He never talks about it. I guess it's not really an issue…"

"Good. So, seriously, tell me everything."

"It's no big deal," she lied. It was a _huge _deal to her. "We just both realized we liked each other, and took off from there."

Tifa rolled her eyes. "Alright, I'll let you off for now. But one of these days you're going to tell me every detail of this morbid relationship."

"Morbid?" That was offensive.

"I'm just joking. You know I like Vincent. He's just kind of… dark."

"I like it," Yuffie admitted. "He's not like other guys I've dated. He's… special."

"So are you. Vincent's a lucky guy."

"He seems to think so… But what about you?"

"Me?"

"How did you and Cloud finally get together?"

Tifa blushed and looked around to see if Cloud was within hearing range. "Well, you know how he is… but after the Geostigma was cured, he really worked at it. I think he felt like he didn't deserve to be happy… But he realized he had a family who loves him and needs him around. He started spending more time around here, and… well it just happened."

"That's so awesome," Yuffie breathed. She'd always hoped Cloud would snap out of it and realize he and Tifa were meant for each other. When she'd heard the news that they'd officially become a couple a few months back, she'd been envious.

"Yeah…" Tifa sighed dreamily. "Well, let me see about getting you that drink."


	8. Chapter 8

****Okay, kids, here's a nice, long, juicy chapter for you. Enjoy!****

Chapter Eight: Resurrection of the Flesh

Vincent stood patiently while the tailor examined his clothing and made notes regarding the pattern and fabrics. Cid stood near the door to smoke at the request of the proprietor, but he hadn't submitted without a fight. "Do you know who you're _talkin' _to here? I'm a %&$# hero!"

In the end, he was told to smoke near the door or leave the shop altogether. "Fine," he'd said haughtily. "But you can bet your ass I'm never comin' back to this shop after today."

As he stood, Vincent's mind travelled back to the inn where he imagined Yuffie would be at this precise moment, stuffing her face with sugar and cheese-flavored calories. A ping of guilt struck him then as he recalled how upset she had been back at the bar when he had agreed to participate in Cid's set-up. Somehow, he would have to convince her there was no danger.

Odd, he thought, how quickly he and Yuffie had grown so concerned over each others' safety. What was it about entering into a relationship with a person that made one feel they had a certain say in how the other chose to live their life? It had already happened twice; first he'd tried to forbid Yuffie from taking part in this, and now she had tried to keep him out of the fire as well.

Once the tailor had taken down all the information required to replicate Vincent's attire, Cid was eager to return to the Seventh Heaven for a few drinks. Vincent made every attempt to decline his invitation, wanting to get back to Yuffie as soon as possible, but it was no use.

"Very well, Cid. I will stay for one drink."

Once they reached the bar, however, he only ordered a single serving of hot tea for himself. Cid eyed the tea cup before taking a double shot of rum and chasing it with a dark, frothy beer.

Wiping the foam from his scraggly chin, he said, "what's with the wussy drink, Vince? Don't tell me you don't drink."

"I do. On rare occasions. However, consuming large quantities of alcohol can sometimes cause… undesirable side effects."

"I didn't understand a damn word you just said, Vince. Are you telling me you can't hold your liquor?"

"No. It's… I lose control of the creatures inhabiting my body when I become intoxicated. It's only happened once before, and I don't intend to let it happen again."

"That's a cryin' shame. I dunno what I'd do without the sauce… Probably give up everything, including flying. Tea's a nice morning drink, but if I'm going to get through the day, I've gotta have something with a little more kick. Know what I mean?"

Vincent had nothing polite to say to this, and so he sipped his tea quickly, hoping he could make his escape soon. Fortunately, Cid's phone rang.

"Yeah? What is it? WHAT! You damn block-heads! I told you never to mess with that control panel. Yeah, well it takes a certain touch, and you ain't got it! Yeah, yeah. I'm on my way." He snapped the phone shut and chugged what remained of his beer. "$&^# idiots," he muttered under his breath. "Well, Vince, looks like I'm cut off early tonight. Those friggin' morons I hired screwed around with my ship and now they can't put her back together right." He rose from the table, dropped a few gil next to his empty glass, and headed toward the door. "See ya, Valentine."

Vincent didn't bother to finish his tea. He thanked Tifa and dropped her tip in the jar next to the till before stepping out into the brisk fall air.

He moved quickly in the direction of the inn where he hoped Yuffie would be waiting for him, avoiding routes that would leave him exposed to anybody who might be trying to follow him. This route led him through a narrow alleyway between two tall buildings. He kept his hand rested warily on the hand grip of Cerberus.

Something caught his attention and he stopped, quietly pulling the gun from its holster. There was a rustling sound up ahead, coming from behind a dumpster. _That's original_, he thought sarcastically. "Come out," he said, just loud enough for the mercenary to hear him. There was more rustling, then a dull clank, followed by a whispered, "ouch." It was a woman's voice, he noted. That meant nothing; women were just as likely to get mixed up in mercenary work as men. There were men who refused to fight female opponents, but Vincent Valentine was not among them.

"Come out now, or I'll drag you out," he growled menacingly.

"Alright… Just put down the gun."

"Not happening."

"Fine. I'm coming out. Don't shoot me, alright?"

"Let's hope I don't have to."

Finally, a small figure emerged from behind the dumpster, hands held up in submission. Vincent gasped as she stepped into the light. That face, those eyes… there could be no mistake.

"Lucrecia?"

"Hello… Vincent."

"Then… you must be the clone. Somehow, I knew it would be you."

"How did you know?" Her voice was playful and sweet, the way Lucrecia's had been before Hojo had interfered. It was unsettling. "What's the matter, Vincent? You don't seem happy to see me."

"Should I be? Even if you _were _Lucrecia, I'm not certain-"

"But I _am _Lucrecia. I'm an exact duplicate. I have her memories, and emotions."

"I find that difficult to believe."

"I'll prove it to you. Let's see… what's something only Lucrecia would know?"

"Hmph."

"I've got it! It was a harvest moon. Some of the locals in Nibleheim were having a festival. You and I snuck up onto the roof of the Shinra manor to watch, since Hojo didn't want us mingling with civilians. We had a bottle of wine. I started to feel a little tipsy, and lost my balance. You caught me before I fell… That was when you first kissed me."

Vincent shut his eyes tightly, trying to push the memory away. "Stop it," he said in a gasping breath. "You're not Lucrecia, no matter what memories you may have inherited from her. You're just a copy."

"Vincent… I had hoped…" Her eyes rolled back in her head suddenly and she fell forward. With inhuman speed, Vincent rushed forward and caught her. She was out cold. He sighed heavily as he lifted her into his arms and resumed his journey back to the inn, keeping to the shadows to avoid being seen.

He hesitated at the door, the clone still draped across his arms. How would he explain this to Yuffie? He could only tell the truth and hope it would be enough.

At first glance, the room appeared empty, but Vincent quickly spotted the arm reaching up from behind Yuffie's bed, clutching her shuriken which rested on her nightstand.

"It's me," he said quietly. Yuffie burst from her hiding place, springing into the air with excitement.

"Vince!" Then her face turned pale and her mouth gaped. "Who..?"

Vincent hurried to set the unconscious clone down on his bed and held up a hand to keep Yuffie quiet. "Please, allow me to explain before you just to conclusions."

"…Okaaaay…" Her voice quivered.

I was heading back to the inn when she approached me in an alleyway. This is the clone those mercenaries are searching for. Before I could get any information, she lost consciousness. I… didn't know what else to do with her."

For a moment, both he and Yuffie could only stare at the elegantly beautiful woman sleeping peacefully on Vincent's bed. When, at length, Yuffie spoke, her voice was gentle.

"So, what do we do now?"

"I'm not certain. I'd like to speak with her more before I decide whether or not she is a threat. If not, then… I'll have to offer her protection."

Yuffie closed her eyes tightly. "Why?" she whispered.

"Yuffie?"

"Why did it have to be _her_?"

Vincent approached her, arms outstretched. She allowed him to embrace her and buried her face in his chest.

"I don't like it either, Yuffie. But please believe me when I tell you…" He reached down and lifted her chin, and she met his gaze slowly. "This changes _nothing_. It's you I want; not her."

"You say that now, but… that could change so easily. You can't honestly tell me you don't still have feelings for Lucrecia. I remember the way you used to talk about her, and-"

"_That _is not Lucrecia, Yuffie," he interrupted, thrusting a golden claw toward the sleeping woman. "Furthermore, even if it were, my resolve would not waver. I'm with you. This is what I want."

Yuffie sniffed, and whiped at her eyes. "You promise?"

"Yuffie… I'm in love with you."

Her face turned red. "You… you are?"

Vincent brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and nodded firmly. "Very much so."

He could see her face was pinched, as if to hold back tears. She threw herself against him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. Vincent leaned his forehead against hers and rubbed her back comfortingly.

"And do you love me?" he asked cautiously. He was becoming more comfortable taking risks, at least with Yuffie. She made him feel so at ease, it was difficult to imagine how he'd gone without her all his life.

He felt her head nod against his. "Yes," she answered sweetly. He sighed, both out of relief and contentment. Then he bent down and kissed her softly, only mildly aware of the clone of his ex-true love sleeping on the bed behind him. In this moment, Lucrecia was an afterthought, and Vincent could only hope and pray she would remain as such. For he secretly feared that having the look-alike (complete with all Lucrecia's memories and emotions) around might eventually get to him – especially if she insisted on winning her way back into his affections.

He had spent so much time dwelling on the loss of Lucrecia, there was no telling how her presence would affect him. _Please_, he said to whatever gods might be listening. _Don't let me spoil this._

That night, Vincent stood guard while Yuffie and the clone slept. While he gazed out the window, a delicate voice behind him whimpered, "Vincent…" He turned and frowned when he saw it was Lucrecia – no; the clone – who was gazing dreamily at him.

"Keep your voice down," he scolded, gesturing at the sleeping Yuffie. Lucrecia's great green eyes fluttered innocently.

"Come closer and I will."

"I can hear you perfectly if you whisper."

"Oh. Of course. I'd forgotten… Forgive me."

"Hmph."

"But… what happened? Where are we?"

"You collapsed in the alleyway. I brought you here for safekeeping, until we decide what to do."

"Do? Whatever do you mean?"

"I need to know if you're a threat. If I feel I can trust you, I won't hand you over to the ones who are after you."

"Oh, Vincent… I don't believe you'll hand me over to anyone who might do me harm." She slid off the bed and approached him seductively. "We're together again. Isn't this what you wanted? It's all I ever think about."

She lifted her arms and took his face in her hands, but he quickly stepped free of her touch.

"Vincent, what's the matter? Why won't you hold me?" She approached him again and he planted his hands firmly on her shoulders.

"You… are not Lucrecia. You may have her face, her voice… her memories… but she is dead. I've moved on."

The clone sighed and turned away, her entire composure changing. "I was afraid of that. It's this girl, isn't it? Why, she's just a child. Whatever are you thinking?"

Vincent, still grasping her thing shoulders, squeezed hard with his fingers and spun the clone around to face Yuffie. "Do you see her?" he hissed. "They shot her with a dart that was intended for you. Thanks to you, I'm being followed, and _she _is no longer safe in my presence."

"I apologize for that, Vincent, but you can hardly blame me. The men who are after me are dangerous. But I am truly sorry if I've put you… or your friend in any danger. She is just a friend, right?"

"That is none of your concern."

"I think it is. Don't you see how much this is hurting me Vincent? Do you have any idea what I went through before I found you?" She shuddered, rubbing her arms as if to warm them. "He raped me, Vincent. And beat me. He claimed he was in love with me, but how can you hurt someone you love?"

"Hmph. You didn't seem to have much of a problem with it, as I recall."

"You're right," she admitted. "And I'm so sorry, Vincent. I'd give anything to take it all back… but I can't. I can only beg your forgiveness."

"I've already forgiven you. Long ago. It's all in the past, and I'd like to keep it that way."

"But I can't, Vincent. Don't you see? Since _he _brought me back, the only thing keeping me sane was the thought of being reunited with you."

Vincent only shook his head and whispered, "I'm sorry, but… that can never be."

Lucrecia – or rather the clone – bent forward and began weeping. He nearly reached out to comfort her, but thought better of it.

"Oh, Vincent. Don't you feel anything for me?"

"Pity, perhaps. Pity that you were brought back, only to suffer further at the hands of, yet, another mad scientist who claims he loves you."

"If pity is all you can offer, Vincent, I'll gladly accept it. Anything just to be on your mind at all." She stifled her tears then, took a deep breath, and sat down on the corner of the bed. "What do you intend to do with me?"

"I… haven't decided yet."

"I see… Well, you needn't worry. If you truly have stopped caring for me, I… I won't bring it up again."

Vincent raised an eyebrow at her. That was too easy, he thought. Then again, if she truly had Lucrecia's personality, she would accept his decision with grace and dignity. Perhaps he hadn't given her enough credit.

Then something crossed his mind. "What shall I call you?"

"Why not Lucrecia?"

"Because you're not Lucrecia, and I refuse to dishonor her by allowing you to claim her identity."

"Ouch. That was harsh, Vincent. Well, then, I suppose I can settle for Lulu. It's the name my mother used to call me as a child… Lucrecia's mother, I mean."

"Lulu is… acceptable."

"Glad to hear it," she muttered sarcastically. "So, what have you been doing with yourself, Vincent?"

"I… don't see how that's relevant."

"Just curious. Gosh, you sure are touchy. What happened to you?"

He glared at her. She knew damn well what had happened to him.

"I'm sorry… Sometimes my mind gets fuzzy. Probably some kind of clone side-effect."

"What made you collapse before?" he asked, eager to change the subject.

"I don't know," she said shortly. "Sometimes I just feel so drained, I lose consciousness."

"Then it's happened before?"

She nodded. "Once or twice. It seems to be getting worse…" Her tone was troubled as her voice trailed off.

"Perhaps you should get some more rest."

"Don't be silly, Vincent. It's nearly dawn, and I've been asleep for hours."

"Suit yourself." He wondered if Cloud would be awake yet. He closed the blinds on all the windows. "I'm going out into the hallway to make a call. Stay away from the windows and keep quiet."

"Don't worry about me. I'm just going to make some breakfast."

He worried for a moment about leaving Yuffie alone with Lulu, but he knew he would only be gone a moment.

Surprisingly, Cloud answered, and Vincent updated him on the situation.

"Why would anybody clone Lucrecia?" he asked.

"I believe it may have to do with those harassment reports in Orias' dossier. She mentioned… being raped."

"Sounds like we're dealing with a lunatic."

"Indeed. But I'd like to see if I can learn more from Lulu before I attempt to seek him out."

"Lulu?"

"The clone… it was a nickname."

"Are you sure you can handle this by yourself, Vincent? Considering your history with Lucrecia…"

"I'll be fine."

"If you say so. I'll let everyone know what's going on. Keep me posted."

"I will. Thanks, Cloud."


	9. Chapter 9

****Hello again, everyone. So, you were probably wondering what Vincent would do if left alone with the seductive Lulu… Well, you're about to find out! Hope you enjoy it! We'll be leaving Edge in the next chapter or two!****

Chapter Nine: Trustworthy

Back in the room, Lulu was busily preparing eggs at the stove in the kitchenette. Vincent eyed her warily as he made his way to Yuffie's bedside and sat down. He brushed his fingers against her face, and her chocolate eyes fluttered open.

"Good morning," he said softly.

"Mmmmm… Now that's a face I wouldn't mind waking up to every day."

"It'll be here," he replied, "as long as you desire."

Yuffie grinned. "Forever, d'uh!" She sat up and kissed him, then stretched and sniffed the air. "Aww, Vince! You made breakfast?"

"Actually, I did."

Lulu stood at the foot of Yuffie's bed, a plate of eggs in one hand and a glass of juice in the other. She wore a pleasant smile on her face, as if this were the most natural thing in the world. Yuffie's smile melted away.

"Oh. I forgot about you," she grumbled, throwing the covers off herself and sliding out of bed. She took the plate and glass and shuffled to the table. "Thanks," she offered sullenly. Vincent watched her eat from where he was still seated on her bed, wondering how he would manage to dissolve the tension between she and Lulu.

"You're welcome," Lulu's too-cheerful voice rang. "I hope you like eggs."

"That's why I bought 'em," came Yuffie's agitated response. Lulu did not appear to let Yuffie's words ruffle her and, instead, turned to Vincent.

"And what would you like to eat, Mr. Valentine?"

Yuffie snorted.

"I'm not hungry," Vincent replied, making his way to the table. "But thank you."

It was awkward for the three of them sitting together at the breakfast table; worse, probably for Vincent, who was caught between his loyalty to Yuffie and his need to help Lulu. He would have to get this over with soon, but how? Where could he take Lulu that she would be safe?

They discussed this briefly while they ate, but a viable plan eluded them. How could they make a move without being spotted?

As she wiped the last bit of egg yolk up with her toast, Yuffie's head suddenly snapped up. "I've just had the greatest idea EVER!"

Then she shoved the eggy toast in her mouth and chewed thoughtfully for a moment while Vincent and Lulu waited.

"What if…" she started, still chewing. "We did a make-over?"

Lulu and Vincent blinked.

"Yuffie, I don't think that's exactly high priority right now…"

"No, dummy. I mean… What if we all wore disguises so we could get out of town without being recognized?"

"Hmm, that's not half bad," Lulu said, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.

Yuffie forced a smile. "Glad you approve. I stole that wig and dress from Cloud – did Tifa ever tell you that story, Vince? – anyway, I still have the whole outfit."

"Yuffie, if you think I'm going to dress up as a woman, you are much mistaken."

"That would be… interesting," she giggled. "But no, silly, I meant for me! I'll go out with Tifa or something and do a little shopping. We'll bring the disguises back here, and we'll slip out of town with no trouble!"

Lucrecia was smiling at Yuffie now; and the smile appeared sincere. "I think it's a great plan, Yuffie. Thank you for thinking of it."

Yuffie seemed to lighten up a bit after the compliment. She and Lulu seemed content to stand elbow to elbow while they straightened up the kitchen together. They took turns teasing Vincent who had rolled back his sleeves, slung a dish towel over his shoulder, and commenced scrubbing the skillet in the sink.

"He looks so domestic," Yuffie whispered – knowing full well Vincent could hear every word.

"Maybe you should pick up a pink apron while you're out shopping."

For some reason, Vincent felt mildly disturbed at the way they seemed to be bonding. But why?

Someone knocked on the door. Vincent froze a moment, then remembered Tifa was coming by to get Yuffie. Before opening the door, he grabbed Cerberus out of the cupboard where he'd been storing it (out of Lulu's sight, just in case).

"Who is it?" he asked dully, standing aside the door.

"It's Tifa!"

Vincent unlocked the door and pulled it open.

"Hi, Vincent!"

"Welcome, Tifa."

"Hey, Yuffie. Oh… You must be Lulu?"

"It's nice to meet you, Tifa. I'm a size six, by the way."

Tifa laughed. "Good to know. Well, we should probably get going before the crowds strike. Are you ready, Yuffie?"

"Yup! Let's go!"

Tifa said good bye to Vincent and Lulu, then headed out to the hall. Yuffie started to follow her, then stopped. "Whoops! I forgot something. Wait here for me, 'kay?"

She ran back in and jumped at Vincent who caught her easily. "I'll be back soon," she whispered, clutching him tightly around the neck. "I'll miss you."

Vincent squeezed her tightly. "I already miss you," he said. "You'd better get going, or Tifa might suspect something."

"Oh…Right…" Yuffie slid from Vincent's arms and landed gently on her feet.

"Is something wrong?"

"I forgot to tell you… Tifa already figured us out."

"Hmm… Interesting."

"You're not mad?"

"Should I be?"

"No, but… I thought we were going to keep it on the down-low."

"As I said before, whatever you want is fine with me."

Yuffie smiled. "You want people to know, don't you?"

"Most men like showing off their girlfriends in public. Why should I be any different?"

"You're the sweetest vampire in the world, Vincent Valentine," she whispered before kissing him.

"Ahem!"

They whipped around to find Tifa and Lulu staring at them. They shared a quiet laugh then, before Yuffie and Tifa went out to shop.

"You guys are pretty cute together," Tifa laughed just as they were leaving the inn. "I wasn't so sure about it before, but I think you're a good match."

"Thanks, Teef. I think so, too."

"So…" Tifa's voice grew more serious. "How are you handling having Lulu around?"

Yuffie shrugged. "I trust Vincent. And Lulu is actually pretty nice."

"You aren't nervous about leaving them alone together?"

As if she needed the reminder. "Okay, so I'll admit it bothers me… but we're all on the same team. Vincent and I already talked about it, and he promised me I had nothing to worry about."

"He's nothing if not honest," Tifa mused about Vincent. "I don't think you have anything to worry about."

"Yeah. I hope not."

Meanwhile, back at the inn, Vincent busied himself cleaning, greasing and loading weapons. He set an open duffel bag on the bed and filled it with guns, ammunition, material and accessories. Lulu watched him intently from her seat at the table, head resting in her hands.

"You haven't changed that much, really, have you Vincent? On the outside, maybe, but… you're still very much you."

"I don't know what you mean," Vincent said shortly without breaking stride.

"You were always very mature, very thoughtful. You never did anything without planning ahead… well, until you met me… I mean, Lucrecia."

At this, Vincent paused. He turned slowly toward Lulu and his face turned hard. "Let me make myself perfectly clear. I have no interest in reminiscing about my past. That is especially true with regard to my relationship with Doctor Crescent. I would… appreciate it if you didn't bring it up again. As far as I am concerned, you and I were strangers until yesterday."

Lulu closed her eyes slowly and covered her face with her hands. Vincent could hear quiet sobbing.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I know I promised to leave it alone, but… Vincent, tell me the truth." She rose from her chair and moved closer. "Is there any chance at all, no matter how miniscule, of the two of us… rekindling what we had before."

"You and I never-"

"I know you don't believe this, but I am as much Lucrecia as the original! There is nothing about me that didn't come from her! Please, Vincent, look at me… Look into my eyes and tell me you still feel _something_."

Against his better judgment, Vincent allowed his eyes to meet hers. He stared into them for a long moment before abruptly pivoting to continue packing. He felt a hand fall onto his shoulder.

"Vincent…"

_No_, he thought firmly. _I won't turn. I won't. _

"Vincent… help me…"

He spun around just as she hit the floor. She had passed out again. But why? She'd eaten a protein-rich breakfast under an hour ago, gotten plenty of sleep. This wasn't making any sense.

As he crouched to examine her, he noticed a strange gray patch of flaking skin on her neck. It was like nothing he had ever seen before and he wondered if it had something to do with her fainting.

Gently, he lifted her onto the bed before finishing his preparations. He had decided they would go north, to the city of the Ancients. Nobody would think to look there – he hoped. Then again, could he really expect Lulu to live alone there? It would only be until her pursuers stopped coming after her – but how would they know when it was safe? Perhaps it never would be and she would be forced to live in isolation for the rest of her life.

The thought saddened him. Lucrecia had been a very social woman; she loved parties and people. He could already tell Lulu had inherited this trait from her. Was it right to ask her to leave civilization behind? She would survive, but at what cost? And was a life alone really worth living?

He pushed the thought from his mind then and went into the kitchen. By now he was regretting turning down Lucrecia's offer to cook him breakfast. He found an apple among Yuffie's junk food and ate it slowly while going over the final touches of his plan.

He stole a glance at Lulu then and smiled slightly as he realized he had passed his own test of loyalty. Then he let his eyes fall shut and it was Yuffie's face that appeared to him in his mind's eye.


	10. Chapter 10

*****Hey, all. Sorry this chapter seems to be such a time waster. I normally write two chapters a day, and this one took me half a week to finish. I originally wrote the scene where Tifa and Yuffie stopped by the bar for a drink and was going to throw Shelke in there, but decided against it in the end. **

**There is some fun Lulu-bashing in this chapter though… I always enjoy that, haha.**

**The next chapter will be more exciting – I promise!*****

Chapter Ten –To Reinvent Ourselves

By the time they had filled six large shopping bags with clothes, wigs and other tools of disguise, Yuffie was eager to return to the inn. The idea of Vincent and that Lucrecia wanna-be alone together had been eating at her all day. Tifa had wanted to stop at the bar to check on Cloud.

Yuffie proceeded to voice her concerns. "It's not like I don't trust him, I mean, Vincent's a saint, but, like, that stupid Lulu chick is out to get him, I just know it!"

"Okay, Yuffie, you win!" Tifa exclaimed. "I just feel bad for leaving Cloud to tend the bar all by himself."

"Cloud's _fine_! My sanity is at stake!"

Oddly, only Lulu was there to greet them when they reached the third floor suite. She sat at the foot of one of the beds, completely engrossed in a documentary centered around Avalanche just after they had saved the world – the first time. Yuffie instantly recognized the footage and raced to the VCR, ripping the tape from the machine.

"Yuffie, I was watching that," Lulu announced calmly.

Yuffie whirled on her. "This is _my_ tape! Mine! What were you doing going through my stuff!"

Lulu batted her elegant eyelashes innocently. "I didn't mean to snoop," she said, shrugging. "I was bored."

"Why I oughtta-"

"Where is Vincent?" Tifa interrupted, glancing around the room.

Lulu pointed a thumb over her shoulder casually. "He's in the shower."

Yuffie shook the tape in Lulu's face. "You hussy… What did you-"

"You're getting upset for nothing, Yuffie. Vincent Valentine is without a doubt the most honest and chaste man to ever walk the face of the planet. I don't think you'll have to worry about him so much as looking at another female human being for the extent of your relationship, such as it is."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

It was then the bathroom door opened and, through a cloud of steam, Vincent Valentine emerged. He wore nothing but a towel around his waist, and his hair was combed back away from his face, clinging to his shoulders. He looked slightly embarrassed as he knelt to rummage through a small bag of his belongings. The three women could only watch in silence and Yuffie felt a surge of pride as she reminded herself that this perfect creature was in love with her.

As she drank him in, she couldn't help noticing the rather severe scarring around the base of the metal claw which replaced his left hand and forearm.

Momentarily her mind conjured up a gruesome image of Hojo removing the appendage while Vincent's body lay lifeless on a table that could still be found in the basement of the Shinra Mansion.

Vincent, being what he was, did not acknowledge their ogling. Instead, once he'd located and removed his shaving razor from the bag, he muttered a quiet, "pardon me," and retreated quickly back into the restroom.

While they waited for Vincent to shave and dress, Tifa and Lulu sorted through the bags and began working out the clone's new look. Yuffie sat morosely on Vincent's bed, staring at the bathroom door. She had been suddenly overcome with a strong need to comfort him; what the heck was that about? Everyone felt that way about Vincent from time to time, but nobody acted on the impulse.

It just wasn't like Vincent to accept pity or remorse from anyone. He strived to hide his dark emotions, rather than share them with outers. While that was an honorable trait, Yuffie couldn't help wonder if it might do him some good to talk about his past with someone who wouldn't judge him. Everybody, at some point in their life, needed to open up and get a few things off their chest. Why should Vincent be any different?

"You look adorable!" Tifa suddenly exclaimed, ripping Yuffie from her thoughts. She turned to find that Tifa couldn't have used a better word to describe Lulu in her blonde wig and blue halter sun dress. Tifa had excellent taste in clothes… damn her.

"Yuffie, you might as well take Vincent his clothes so he doesn't have to get dressed just to come out here and get them."

Yuffie grinned; this would be fun. She pulled her favorite suit from the bag and sprinted to the bathroom door. She knocked and the door opened slightly. Vincent's red eye peered through the crack. "I'm sorry about the towel," he said quietly. "That wasn't appropriate."

"Oh," Yuffie babbled. "Don't worry about it. Here, I picked this out for you." She handed the suit over and Vincent grunted with what she guessed was his heartfelt approval.

"It's nice. Expensive?"

"Not too expensive," she admitted. "I can be pretty thrifty when I wanna be."

"I can imagine your idea of bargain shopping doesn't usually involve _purchasing_ the objects of your desire," Vincent said with humor only Yuffie could detect – not that the others could have even heard him.

"I'll have you know I paid for _everything _today. My training is rendered somewhat useless when Tifa's around screaming about how cute everything is."

"Yes, I imagine she draws quite a lot of attention to your otherwise covert operation."

"Exactly!"

Vincent smiled at her then, and she peeked over her shoulder to make sure Tifa and Lulu weren't looking before pushing the door a little wider and pecking him on the lips.

"I'll be out shortly," Vincent said, brushing the back of her hand with his fingers before closing the door again.

Lulu was already laying out Yuffie's new outfits on the bed while Tifa teased the red wig.

"Yuffie, you should get ready before Vincent comes out. It will be cute to see his reaction."

Yuffie wondered what was up with the nicey-nice act, but went ahead and threw on her favorite new clothes. When she stepped back around the privacy screen, Tifa and Lulu's eyebrows rose in shock.

"Um, Yuffie?" Tifa said quietly, "the point of getting all these clothes is to avoid drawing attention to yourselves."

"If Lulu gets to be cute, so do I!" Yuffie protested. "Now, give me my damn wig!"

She jumped in front of the full-length mirror on the wall, pulled the red wig over her head and gazed dreamily at her own reflection.

The skirt was short and black, with a studded red leather belt hanging loosely at her hips. The shirt was more or less a tube top with a black and grey zebra-print on the front, and a mesh back. Once she was satisfied with the positioning of her ensemble, she turned and pointed a finger at Tifa.

"Okay, so, what do you think? I'll tone it down some later, but this get-up is just dying to be worn!"

Tifa shrugged and she and Lulu looked at each other with a certain knowing smile on each of their faces. "Whatever you want," Tifa said calmly. "Just don't come crying to me if you get spotted before you even leave Edge."

"You really think it's too flashy?"

Lulu nodded sincerely. "Maybe save that one for later," she said.

"Fine. What else do you have in that bag?"

In the end, Yuffie settled for a casual skirt and blouse – not her usual taste, but that was the point, right? Tifa and Lulu insisted she looked terrific, but the whole thing just felt wrong.

Vincent reemerged from the restroom a few moments later looking like a male model. He must have known how great he looked, Yuffie thought, but of course he was going to play it cool. "Do I get a wig?" he asked.

Tifa shrugged. "Ask your companion."

Vincent turned to Yuffie who smiled. "I just… you have such pretty hair, Vincent. I thought it would be a shame. So I got you this sa-_weet_ fedora, instead!"

Vincent put the hat on and pulled it low so it shadowed his eyes. "Well?"

"Here," Yuffie said quietly, handing him a pair of dark glasses. She hated to even imply that his red eyes might be a problem, worrying that it might hurt his feelings. They certainly weren't a problem for her, but they would draw attention, and there was just no getting around that. He didn't seem to take offense, however, and slid the glasses on without hesitation.

Tifa clapped her hands together. "You guys look awesome! I don't think I'd recognize you if you all three came and sat right up at the bar. This is going to work!"

Lulu hugged Tifa excitedly. "Thank you for all your help, Tifa. You have no idea how much I appreciate it. If we ever see each other again, I'll be sure to make it up to you somehow."

"Don't mention it," Tifa replied sweetly, returning her embrace. "That's what friends do."

"Friends, huh?" Lulu echoed. "That sounds so nice."

_Oh gawd_, thought Yuffie. _She's_ _getting all emotional now_.

"You look wonderful," Vincent whispered in her ear, letting his cheek brush against hers briefly. She blushed and reached for his hand; she got the claw instead, but didn't mind.

"You look… unbelievable," she said. "I'll always like the cape best though."

"Rest assured, I'll be returning to my normal attire once this is over with."

"However long _that_ takes."

She felt herself being pulled away from Tifa and Lulu's BFF moment and around the corner. Vincent pulled the dark glasses off to show he was serious.

"Yuffie, I'm not thrilled about what's happening. If you think I'm eager to drop everything and take Lulu to the other side of the world, you're mistaken. There's nothing I'd rather be doing than enjoying the remainder of my vacation with you, and you alone."

"Vince…"

"In fact, I find it extremely unfortunate that we've been interrupted just as we've discovered our true feelings for one another. Once this is over, I promise to make it up to you."

Yuffie shook her head. "You don't have to do that, Vince. I'm happy just to go where you go. I just wish…" She glanced back toward Lulu.

Vincent nodded. "So do I. She'll be out of our lives soon enough. With any luck, that will be the end of it. Until then, I'm going to do everything in my power to ensure her safety. I'd like to know you're with me."

"I'm always with you. Even if Lulu is a total hosebag."

Vincent's eyebrow went up. "Hosebag?"

"Shhh! She'll hear you!"


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven: The Journey Begins

Tifa was in a hurry to get back to the bar and "help" Cloud, and the three travelers were eager to begin their journey. Once they had checked out of their room, they headed as inconspicuously as possible to the chocobo stable. Someone had long since returned the borrowed chocobo from Cosmo Canyon, and three fresh mounts were saddled and ready when they arrived.

"Dibs on the white one!" Yuffie called when she spotted the three birds tied up along the fence. Vincent nodded to show he didn't have a preference. He approached the stable owner to pay for the chocobos while the girls went to meet the animals.

The man stared after Lulu and Yuffie for a moment while Vincent counted out his gil. "Nice lookin' ladies you've got with you, Sir," he chuckled. "Wouldn't mind takin' one or both of 'em for a ride myself."

Vincent eyed the man sharply, and the smug expression melted off his face. After paying for the chocobos, Vincent handed him another sum of gil, amounting to twice the cost of renting the three chocobos. "This is to ensure you won't tell anybody we were here."

The man's eyes doubled in size as he counted the gil a second time. "Bless you, Sir. You can rest easy knowing I wouldn't tell a soul you were here. It's awful good of you, times being what they are."

"Hmph. See that you don't." Vincent turned then and joined Lulu and Yuffie where the chocobos waited. They were both already mounted up and smiled strangely at him as he approached. Then he realized the joke. Yuffie had taken the white chocobo, and Lulu the green. The only bird left was bright pink.

He stopped then and took a moment to assess the situation. "You must be joking," he said.

The girls broke out in wild laughter as the pink chocobo eyed him knowingly.

Shaking his head, Vincent approached the pink chocobo and patted its neck lightly before climbing into the saddle. In the end, did it really matter what color chocobo he was riding? "Let's get moving," he said seriously, navigating Pinky – as the bird would later be dubbed by his female companions – away from the town of Edge.

The plan was to meet Cid somewhere remote. The exact location had not even been decided yet. They would simply ride until they found a suitable place, far enough away from anybody who might see them, and then call Cid and allow him to trace their coordinates.

They rode for nearly an hour without incident. Lulu had very little experience riding chocobos, and so there were a few minor issues when they ran the birds, but all in all things were proceeding as planned. Nobody had followed them; Vincent was certain of that. Even so, he could not help feel something was going to go wrong.

A strange little tune drifted to his ears and he halted his chocobo, reaching for Cerberus at the same time. He listened carefully as his eyes scanned the surrounding forest for the source of the music.

"Hey, Dad!" Yuffie exclaimed. Vincent circled his chocobo to find Yuffie with her phone pressed against her ear. It had only been her ring tone that had startled him. Ridiculous. He urged his chocobo to catch up to the other two and came up along Yuffie's right side. She did not look pleased, he noted.

"I'm not always gone," she argued with the voice on the phone. "Well, maybe if it wasn't so boring there, I'd be home more. So what does my age have to do with anything?"

She jerked on the reins then, halting the chocobo. Vincent and Lulu did the same, and watched her with curiosity. Her face was turning redder by the second.

"I can't believe you did that!" she shouted suddenly. "How could you? Without talking to me first!"

Vincent reached out and rubbed her shoulder supportively, though he was absolutely clueless as to what the problem was. He didn't like the way Yuffie turned to look at him suddenly. Her expression seemed regretful, if anything.

"You bet your fat, wrinkled ASS I'm coming home, old coot! And when I get there, you will feel my wrath!" She slammed her phone shut and chucked it as hard as she could into the forest. Vincent watcher her for a moment as she sat hunched forward in the saddle, face buried in her hands.

Then he slid off his chocobo and gently removed Yuffie from hers, cradling her gently in his arms. "What's the matter?" he whispered as she buried her face in his shoulder.

"Oh, Vincent!" she sobbed. "My dad is such an idiot."

"Tell me what has happened. Maybe there's something I can do to help."

"Not unless you're an expert at finding loopholes in thousand-year old traditions."

"Yuffie, I don't understand."

"He's… I'm… Oh damn him, the old fart!" She wiped her eyes frantically and took a deep breath. "You remember what I said before, about my dad trying to marry me off?"

Vincent felt his heart stop.

"Well, apparently I didn't make myself clear enough when I said NEVER!"

"Yuffie…"

"He's promised me to a man in town. Some shop owner's son. I don't even know who he's talking about. Oh, Vincent, it's not fair!"

"I'm confused," Vincent admitted. "Why not simply tell your father you're already seeing somebody?"

"I don't think that'll work," she moaned, clutching at him tightly. "There are pretty strict rules about who I can and cannot marry. And the law states my father has the right to choose a husband for me after I'm nineteen."

"Isn't there anything we can do?"

"I need to talk to him. In person."

"Of course," Vincent said, realizing this meeting would have to take place as soon as possible. He looked to Lulu who was wearing a look of great concern. Then he turned back to Yuffie. "Perhaps Cid won't mind making a detour before we head north."

"No," Yuffie said. "It's too risky to take Lulu to Wutai. Besides," she added, "this is between my and my father."

Vincent lifted her chin until she met his eyes. "On the contrary," he said, "this is as much my problem as it is yours. I don't intend to hand you over without a fight."

Yuffie's lips mashed into his then and her arms wound tightly around his neck. "You're the sweetest man in the world, Vincent Valentine."

"The most selfish is more accurate," he replied. "Which is exactly why I'm going to do everything in my power to keep you from marrying."

Yuffie smiled weakly at him then and nodded. "Alright. Let's go kick Godo's ass."

She mounted her chocobo with ease and then turned to Lulu. "Are you sure it's alright?" she asked.

Lulu nodded firmly. "Of course, Yuffie. This is important."

Yuffie wiped at her eyes and nodded. "Thanks, you guys. Both of you. This… means a lot to me."

Eventually they reached a wide clearing large enough for Cid to set the Shera down. When they had boarded, Lulu complained of feeling faint again and went to lie down in one of the cabins. Yuffie had long since decided the best place to avoid motion sickness was on the viewing deck, out in the fresh air.

She stood, hands gripping the railing tightly, wind whipping her short chocolate hair wildly. She had changed back into her regular clothes; it wouldn't do to face Godo while wearing a disguise, even if she did make a pretty hot red head. Evidently Vincent was of a similar mindset; he approached her slowly, the red tattered cape blowing wildly as he came. She managed a dim smile at the sight of him; this was the way she liked him best – as himself.

"Hello," he offered, joining her at the railing. "How are you feeling?"

"A little sick," she said. "But… mostly just worried."

"Yuffie, I want you to know… if it comes down to it, I'm willing to talk to your father and explain how I feel about you."

Yuffie's face turned serious. "We have to be careful, Vincent. Remember, I'm the only child Godo has. Eventually, I'll have to take over as the leader of Wutai."

"And is that what you want?"

"I don't know," she admitted sullenly. "I don't know if I'm cut out to be a leader."

"But what do you _want_, Yuffie?"

"I want… to be free to go where I wish. Not to be tied down and bound by traditions and responsibilities. Most of all, I want to keep you in my life. But that can't happen if I marry… and to be honest, it can't happen if I take over as the leader of Wutai when my father passes away."

Vincent was dumbstruck for a moment. Finally, he stammered, "But why? What if… what if _we_ were to marry, eventually?"

Yuffie shook her head, her eyes pooling with tears. "You're not Wutainese."

The hurt was evident on his face. "I see…"

"Vincent… I'm sorry. I should have told you all of this before…"

"So why didn't you?" he asked shortly, his frame stiff.

"I don't know… I wasn't thinking. It's not like I planned to feel this way about you. And I definitely didn't expect you to like me back."

Vincent sighed deeply before turning to go. "You'll never know how deeply this hurts me, Yuffie."

She watched helplessly as he went back inside, then dropped to her knees and began crying. Her motion sickness was a mere afterthought when she thought of losing Vincent. After a long, hard cry-fest, Yuffie rose to her feet and stared down at the world passing by. It made her think back to her early days with Avalanche. When Meteor was heading toward the planet, Cloud had given everyone a day to find their reason to fight.

She had planned originally to return to Wutai and spend her final days with her people, doing what she could to comfort them and make the rest of their lives as peaceful as possible. Part way back, however, she had turned around and headed back toward the Highwind. Something had dawned on her then – something she hadn't considered for a long time until now.

This was a large planet, full of all kinds of people. But it could've been destroyed so easily. Millions of lives could have been ended in an instant, hers and Vincent's included. So much was sacrificed to save it all, and yet here she was worrying about the ancient traditions of her country.

"Screw this," she thought aloud, turning to follow Vincent. Once inside, she could feel her stomach turning in knots. She did her best to ignore the sickness and followed the arrows painted on the walls that lead toward the cabins.


	12. Chapter 12

***Looks like the writer's block is gone already. I finished chapter ten earlier today, and I'm just now finishing chapter twelve at 11:25 PM (23:25).

Lots of much-needed private time for Vincent and Yuffie in this one, and also a scene that's not suitable for children! Remember, this story is rated M for language and some sexually explicit material. Thanks for being responsible, kids. Hope you enjoy.

Your humble narrator,

C. Buttons***

Chapter Twelve – Her Decision

She knocked on the first door and cringed when Lulu responded. "Yes? It's open."

Yuffie did her best imitation of Cid. "Wrong $&%# door, sorry!" She didn't want Lulu to come out and start blabbing at her. There was no way she had the time or patience for her right now. The imitation worked, evidently, and she was able to move on without interruption.

It had to be the next door, she decided. She knocked softly and there was no answer. She tried the doorknob; it was locked. Her heart was pounding wildly. She took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. "Vincent?"

No answer. But, of course, he was there. Anybody else would have responded.

"Vincent, please let me in. I want to tell you something."

She heard footsteps approaching the door from the inside then, and the gentle clicking of metal-on-metal as he flipped the lock with his claw. He opened the door a crack before turning and walking back to the workbench where he had the Cerberus broken down into half a dozen pieces and springs. He took the barrel in his claw and began rubbing it absently with an oiled cloth.

As Yuffie entered, she noted he had all the lights off. The only illumination came from the hallway behind her. She reached up to the wall, found the switch, and flipped it. Vincent grunted quietly as the light transformed his surroundings, but kept his back toward Yuffie. She shut the door then and let herself lean back against it.

"I know you're angry with me," she said.

"Hmph."

"And you have every right to be. It was… selfish of me to be so impulsive without thinking about how this would affect you in the future. I'm sorry, Vincent."

"Apology accepted," he said, busily spreading grease against the slide of his signature weapon with his finger.

"That didn't sound very enthusiastic, Mister Sinister."

"Perhaps because it wasn't," came the cold reply. "Do not fret, Yuffie. I'm an adult. I can handle being broken up with. I suppose I should be grateful I found out as soon as I did. Perhaps I'll thank Godo personally when we arrive in Wutai."

Yuffie had never heard such sarcasm coming from Vincent before. She could tell he was heartbroken; as was she.

"Vincent, I really came to tell you… I'm not going to go through with it. The engagement, I mean. My dad'll freak, but that's just too bad."

Vincent, having expertly pieced the weapon back together, pulled the slide back and let it slam into place menacingly. "Good luck with that," he said airily.

"Dammit, Vince." She stomped over to the workbench and slammed her hands down on it, leaning in to look him in the eye. "I'm trying to tell you I'm giving up my status for you!"

Vincent's eyes flashed up to meet hers then. "What did you say?"

"You heard me, vampire! I've decided I don't want to lead Wutai if it means I can't be with you."

"And you are… certain of your decision?"

"Of course I'm sure!"

"That… changes things."

"You're damn right it does."

He rose then and looked apologetically at Yuffie. "I'm sorry you had to make this choice, Yuffie."

"So am I, but… You're worth it, Vince. And it was wrong of me not to tell you before we hooked up. It was wrong. REALLY wrong… Forgive me?"

Vincent took her in his arms then. "Only if you'll forgive me."

Yuffie laughed as her anxiety melted away and was replaced, once again, with the overwhelming joy she usually associated with being held by Vincent Valentine. "Of course," she whispered, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist.

Vincent bent forward then and kissed her. Yuffie felt her stomach flutter (in a good way) when his tongue brushed against hers. She instinctively pressed her body closer to his, and he reacted by moving his lips down to her throat, then to her collarbone His hands moved up and down her back, just brushing the clasp of her bra each time, and the cold metal of the claw sent a shiver down her spine. She reached back and expertly unclasped the bra with one hand.

Vincent paused a moment, as if asking permission to proceed. She smiled and nodded gently, then shuddered as she felt his hand slide beneath the dangling material.

Then, in one fluid movement, he lifted her off her feet and gently laid her down on the bottom bunk of the nearest bed. He unclasped his cape swiftly, red eyes flaring with passion, before joining her on the bed. He had done this before, Yuffie knew. She swore she wouldn't let it spoil the moment. She couldn't hold past relationships against him. It wasn't fair.

In fact, she learned that his previous _involvement _actually made her first time easier than she imagined it would be with an inexperienced partner. Vincent was a gentle teacher and, afterward while they lay entwined in each other's arms, Yuffie decided she would never again associate Vincent with Lucrecia in any way – at least, she would try not to. It was clear the way he held her, the way he looked into her eyes with such contentment, that his mind was on her and not his past lover. Really, what more could she ask for?

Yuffie woke up some time later, the effects of a nightmare fresh on her psyche although the dream was already forgotten. Vincent was still with her, his claw resting against her back. She lay there a moment without moving, her head against his rising and falling chest, trying to shake off the horrible feeling from the dream.

"Hello, there." Vincent's voice came from above like salvation, instantly soothing her. "Did you sleep well?"

"I think I had a nightmare," she muttered. "But I can't remember what it was about."

"I'm sorry," he said lovingly. "Now you know why I prefer not to sleep unless I need to."

"Do you really have nightmares every night?"

"I used to… For thirty years I punished myself with dreams. I've had some closure since then, however, and the nightmares are fewer now."

"What were they about?" She hoped that wasn't too personal a question.

"They were… about Sephiroth sometimes. Hojo and Lucrecia played their roles there as well. Mostly they were simply a reminder of my utter helplessness with regard to that incident."

Without realizing it she began tracing her finger along the scar tissue surrounding the base of the claw. Vincent winced ever so slightly at her touch there, but said nothing.

"Vincent? Do you still blame yourself for what happened to Lucrecia?"

"…There is a part of me that wishes I had done more to stop her. However, as you know, there was a great deal more to Dr. Crescent than I ever realized during my brief relationship with her."

"I'm glad."

"Glad?"

"That you got your closure. It… was hard to see you punish yourself."

"Thank you," Vincent said, kissing the top of her head. "And… I'm sorry. For worrying you."

"It's okay." Yuffie shifted to look at him. "I just hope you never have to feel that way again."

Vincent nodded thoughtfully.

"What are you thinking about?" she pried.

"I'm thinking… no, more like wishing or praying… that I never have to lose someone else I love."

"Well, you'll never lose me," she said then.

"If only you could promise me such a thing."

"I can, Vince." Her tone was cheerful, but serious. "And I am."

"I love you," he whispered affectionately.

"And I love you." She snuggled closer to him then and sighed with contentment. "When do we land?"

"Cid hasn't made any announcements, but I doubt we have very long. You might want to prepare."

"Yeah," she yawned. "You're probably right." She crawled over him, swiping the top blanket as she slid off the bed to cover herself. It seemed silly, considering he had now seen every bit of her naked body. Still, she didn't feel right just parading around the room stark naked in front of him.

Holding the blanket in one hand, she scurried around the room picking articles of clothing off the floor. She slid into her panties, then her shorts, bra and tank top. Then she spotted Vincent's cape and lifted it carefully. She glanced over at where he still sat on the bed, hands behind his head. "May I?" she asked, holding it up.

Vincent nodded his approval and Yuffie quickly threw the red fabric over her shoulders and buckled it securely across her chest, leaving the top straps open like Vincent did. Then she did a pirouette, clasping the corner of the cape in her right hand, and held it across her face Dracula-style.

"Tah-dah! Whaddaya think of my new look?"

Vincent smiled. "I could get used to it."

Yuffie sashayed toward him, flipping the cape back and forth with each step. Vincent held his arms open for her and she dove into them readily, the red fabric settling over them artfully.

"I thought you were getting ready," Vincent teased.

"I am ready! Godo won't know what hit him when Yuffie Valentine kicks down his door!"

Woops. She scrunched her face, knowing he'd have noted the unintended implication in her statement.

"I-I didn't…"

"It's alright, Yuffie. I know what you meant."

"Yeah… That was weird."

"You needn't be embarrassed. I'm in no hurry to be married, but the name suits you."

"You think so?" she said. Why was he so damn sweet all the time?

"I do."

Yuffie laughed at the subtle joke and rolled back onto her side of the bed.

"Vincent?"

"Yes, Yuffie?"

"Do you think… Do you think I'm doing the right thing?"

"Only you can answer that. You know how I feel, but I would never want you to make a decision you weren't completely committed to."

"It's just… I always assumed I'd take over some day. I love my country, even if there _are_ too many tourists. I mean, I had plans. They weren't exactly well-thought-out plans, because I was always so busy doing other things, but it was always in the back of my mind. Now my plan is to give it all up…"

Vincent turned on his side to look at her and stroked her hair gently. "Perhaps you should give it more time before you make up your mind."

Yuffie sighed. "That's the problem. I've already decided I want you. If that means I can't have Wutai, then…"

"Yuffie. I refuse to stand in the way of your dreams. If I'm preventing you from doing what you want to do, then perhaps…"

"Don't say it," Yuffie interrupted firmly. "I know what I have to do. For now, I'll just tell Dad that I'm not marrying this guy. He's not in great shape, but I don't expect him to kick the bucket anytime soon. We've got years…"

"And then what?" Vincent asked. "When those years are over, what is your plan?"

"I don't know," Yuffie muttered, exasperated at this point.

"Perhaps you don't expect us to last that long?"

"Please don't say that. I had a crush on you that lasted for three years, even when we almost never saw each other. I can't imagine a time when I won't want you with me."

"The feeling is mutual. Even so, we have to be realistic. Most relationships begin with the best intentions, yet so few are successful. It would be absurd for you to give everything up now, so soon. Don't you agree?"

"You're starting to scare me."

"That was not my intention. I only wish to stress the seriousness of the situation."

"You don't have to," Yuffie replied. "I know well enough how serious this is. And you're right, as usual. Damn. Why does this have to be so complicated? Why can't we just be together without it affecting everything else?"

"That's life, Yuffie. You cannot have the good without the bad."

"Okay, here's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna go tell Godo no way in _hell _am I marrying this idiot he's got lined up for me. He'll disown me, and I won't have to worry about making any tough decisions!" In trying to make light of it, she only upset herself more. Vincent must've noticed the tears coming, because he pulled her into his lap and cradled her in preparation.

When she had cried herself out, she glanced down at the cape and noticed she'd left a wet spot on it. "Woops. Sorry about your cape."

"You needn't be. Yours are not the only tears to soil this fabric."

"Do you cry, Vincent?"

"Everybody cries sometimes, Yuffie."

"I wish I had been there. I would've given you a big hug to cheer you up."

"I have no doubt you would've succeeded in doing so. I am not normally a very affectionate person, but… I can think of a few times when a hug might have done some good."

"Poor Vinnie. That makes me real sad."

"Would a hug cheer you up?"

"From you, always."


	13. Chapter 13

***Did anybody else just randomly go to Wutai while playing FFVII? I always loved the design, although I have to admit that was one of my least favorite music selections from the entire game. Well, here we are again. Enjoy (and please review!)***

Chapter Thirteen – The Old Country

Everybody was on the inside observation deck when the Shera lurched to a halt just outside Wutai. Lulu remained in disguise, but Yuffie and Vincent saw no need for them to hide their true identities here. Godo had already been instructed to inform the guard to be on the look-out for suspicious characters, and anybody searching for Lulu as far away as Wutai would be foolish to so much as enter the village.

Vincent and Yuffie stood a friendly distance from each other; they had discussed letting Cid in on the secret, but decided against it for the time being. Cid was just too outward with his opinions, and would probably end up making a big embarrassing scene in front of everybody on board.

Lulu had her hands pressed against the concave glass, her eyes wide as she took in the sights from the high altitude. Even on the ground, they were at least three stories up and it was quite a view. From the deck, they could see every bit of Wutai and the Da Chao mountains beyond.

The beautiful sight of her beloved village made Yuffie's heart sink. Could she really say good bye? Did she really have to?

She was eager to leave the ship and took a moment to let her stomach settle and stretch before moving on from the ship. Cid, who had originally planned to head home and pick them up later, decided he could use a short vacation and made his way to the Turtle Paradise. He invited Vincent, Yuffie and Lulu to join him.

Vincent turned to Yuffie. "Shouldn't we go meet with your father as soon as possible?"

Yuffie shrugged. "The old coot can wait. I could use a drink, anyway."

"I wouldn't mind stopping for a little refreshment, either," Lulu chimed in. Yuffie smiled, linked arms with her and followed after Cid. Vincent trailed them inside and the four knelt – one on each side – of a low table, Wutainese fashion.

Yuffie was seated across from Cid, with Lulu on her left and Vincent on her right. She ordered a bottle of their best o-sake to share with the others. They made several toasts and were well into their second bottle – though Cid and Yuffie were doing most of the drinking – before it became evident that Yuffie was drunk.

She and Cid were arguing wildly about different weapon types and whether or not a spear would be any good against a shuriken.

"You're just a kid, so what the hell do you know about it?" Cid said, his cigarette dropping from his drooping lips.

"I know a hell of a lot more than an old fart like you!" Yuffie threw back. "Unlike you, I've actually had martial arts training."

"Buncha fancy pants dancin' if you ask me. You wouldn't last one round against me, girlie."

"Oh yeah? Wanna try me?" Yuffie was leaning across the table aggressively.

Lulu shot Vincent a look of concern and he knew he had to break this up before it got out of hand. He reached out and set his claw hand on Yuffie's shoulder, pushing her back into her cushion. "I think you've had enough," he said quietly.

"Naw, I'm good. Don't even worry about it, Vinnie. I've got this."

"You're drunk, Yuffie."

"First I heard about it." Hiccup

Vincent stood then and gently pulled Yuffie to her feet. "I think you need to lie down."

Lulu rose from the table and bent down to thank Cid for his company. Before she could get half a sentence out, however, Cid interrupted. "You two are doin' it!" he blurted out, much too loud.

Yuffie only stuck her tongue out in response, but Vincent looked abashed. He met Cid's gaze and gave him a pleading look. Cid waved him away and took another swig of sake. "Fine, whatever. I won't say anything. That's the weirdest thing I ever heard, though. No offense, Vince."

Vincent didn't stick around to answer him. He lifted Yuffie off of her wobbling legs and nodded at Lulu as she jogged past him to hold the door open. Yuffie's house wasn't far, he knew, and that would be the best place for her to recover from the drinking. Lulu kept pace with Vincent as he speed-walked across the ornate bridges, keeping her eyes on Yuffie all the while.

"Do you think she'll be alright?" she asked with great concern in her voice. At this point, Yuffie was only slightly conscious.

"She'll be fine tomorrow. Only I hate to keep her father waiting."

"You're anxious to get this over with, aren't you?"

"Hmph."

"I don't blame you. And… Well, never mind."

Vincent was curious to know what she might've said, but had more pressing concerns at the moment. Yuffie's front door was unlocked as usual. Upon entering, he and Lulu were suddenly surrounded by cats.

"Wow," Lulu muttered quietly. "Bet you didn't know you were dating a crazy cat lady."

"I did know," he said flatly, making his way up the stairs to Yuffie's bedroom. Her large, plush futon was covered in cat hair, but it would have to do. He laid Yuffie down gently and went to get her a glass of water and a cold wash cloth. Lulu was content to stay downstairs, despite the cats.

It was difficult getting her to drink the water. Her head bobbed back and forth dizzily as she pushed the glass away. "Not thirsty," she murmured.

"It will keep you from having such a bad hangover later."

"I don't… Okay…" She took a tiny sip and tried handing it back to him.

"As much as you can, Yuffie. Trust me."

"I do trust you, Vinnie. More than anybody else in the whoooole world."

Vincent forced away the smile that was trying to break through. "Then drink your water. Please, Yuffie."

"Fine." She sipped at it for a good twenty minutes, growing slightly more sober as the time passed.

For a while Vincent and she sat on the futon in silence. Vincent watched her carefully, making sure she didn't spill the water. When she had grown a little more coherent, she turned to look at him as if just noticing he was there.

"Sorry I got drunk," she said. "It kinda snuck up on me."

"Don't worry about it," Vincent replied. "Although I wish it could've waited until _after _you'd met with your father."

"Come on, Vince. Don't give me any crap."

Vincent sighed and fell back against the futon and soon felt Yuffie curling up under his arm. "You're not going to sleep, are you?"

"Maybe…"

"Hmph. Very well."

"Will you stay with me?"

"Of course, Yuffie."

She was snoring in a matter of minutes and soon Lulu ascended the stairs to see what was keeping them. She smiled and began tiptoeing when she saw that Yuffie was asleep. Vincent watched her with consideration as she sat at the foot of the futon next to Yuffie's feet.

She began unworking the double-knotted laces and looked up at Vincent who's eyes were still on her.

"Vincent, I… Just want to apologize to you… for the way I tried to get between you and Yuffie before. I can see now how much you care for her."

Vincent didn't answer.

"Also, I want to thank you for everything. You're putting yourself and Yuffie at risk to help me."

"You needn't thank us. Our only other option would have been to turn you over to Orias' men. No decent human person would've done that… Not that I exactly fit _that _description."

Lulu laughed softly. "I remember you used to be very funny. You had a unique sense of humor. I… Lucrecia sometimes fed off your gentle spirit, you know. Anyway, I'm glad you haven't lost that quality."

"Hmph."

"May I… ask you a question, Vincent?"

"What is it?" he asked, trying to conceal his irritation.

"You don't age, do you?"

Vincent's chin dropped. He knew where this was going. He gazed down at Yuffie's youthful face; in ten years she would be noticeably more aged than he.

"No," he finally answered.

"You've already thought about this, haven't you?" Lulu said with realization. "Of course you have. You overthink everything."

"Do I?"

"And you always have," she smiled. "Not that there's anything wrong with that. It may be why you're still alive."

"That's the idea. To answer your question, I have thought about it. It is… not a future I care to think about often. But I am no delusional. I've known all along that my friends are going to get older while I remain in this form. There is a good possibility I will have to end my own life someday, if I am ever to rest."

"I think… that would be a shame, Vincent."

"Would you want to live forever?"

Lulu got a distant look in her eyes then. "That might be nice," she said slowly.

At last she unknotted Yuffie's shoelaces and pulled the sneakers and socks off, laying them carefully at the foot of the futon.

"She is special, isn't she?" Lulu mused. "I've come to really enjoy her company. I… shall miss her when this is all over."

Vincent didn't know how to respond. He realized then that he would be sad to say goodbye when the time came.

Lulu stretched and yawned. "If you'd like to take a walk, I can stay here with Yuffie," she said. "I'm feeling a little sleepy myself."

Vincent nodded and carefully unwound Yuffie's arms from him before standing. Lulu slid onto the futon next to Yuffie and got comfortable.

"I won't go far," he said. "We can't be sure we haven't been followed here."

"Thanks, Vincent."

Once outside, Vincent walked to the edge of the embankment Yuffie's house was built on. The sound of the flowing water below was soothing. He could understand why Yuffie was so attached to Wutai; its beautiful landscapes and traditional architecture were unrivaled in the world – and he should know. It had been one of his favorite places during their original travels to stop Sephiroth.

He smiled fondly of the memory of a younger, more deviant Yuffie Kisaragi. At the time, he had been upset with her. She seemed to have had little concern for their safety, nor for the fate of the planet. In the end, however, her scheme had failed and she had repented for her selfish deeds. Cloud had said that he was certain she would not betray them again; that in being beaten at her own game, she had come to respect him and the others.

Vincent had been doubtful of her resolve, but had been proven wrong. Yuffie would later demonstrate her loyalty by becoming a powerful ally to the Avalanche group. Later, she would join the WRO and work to rid the world of the Deepground remnants. In doing so, she had become his dearest friend.

They had lost touch, temporarily, and he had sunken back into a stifling depression. Only she had been able to bring him back; only she had been able to make him feel his worth. He looked toward Da Chao mountain and thanked the spirits of Wutai for Yuffie.

"Nice view, ain't it?"

Vincent spun and pulled Cerberus in the same motion. A young Wutainese man stood before him, dressed in a black gi.

"You must be Vincent Valentine. I've heard a lot about you."

"And you are?"

"Kazuki, of the Honto family. More importantly, I'm employed by Lord Godo Kisaragi."

"It's a pleasure," Vincent said – forced was more like it – and held out his hand. Kazuki glanced at the extended hand and smirked.

"Let me be brief, Mister Valentine. You are harboring a fugitive here in our peaceful village. We'd like you to hand her over now, before the situation escalates into something… unpleasant."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen – Family Matters

Vincent stood his ground, his gaze unwavering. "I was told Emperor Godo had ordered his guard to protect my companion."

"Lord Godo has no desire to make enemies of the men who are searching for the woman. You would be wise to follow his example."

"How about making enemies of every member of Avalanche, the group that defeated Sephiroth and saved the planet?"

"I don't give the orders, Mr. Valentine, but I've never failed to follow them." Kazuki lowered himself into a fighting stance.

"Very well," Vincent uttered before firing three consecutive shots at the ninja's position. Kazuki whirled from their path and Vincent was surprised at his speed; it was almost comparable to his own.

But just _almost_.

Two more shots rang out; Vincent saw the tiny splatter of blood as a small chuck of skin and black fabric was ripped from Kazuki's shoulder. The ninja hardly winced and again changed positions nearly too fast for Vincent to track. The next few shots were near misses, and Vincent suffered a hard blow to his lower back as punishment. He stumbled forward, never losing his footing, and spun on the black streak.

Vincent was a quick study in battle; he'd already learned this opponent's movements and could second guess his next move. Instead of firing, this time he struck Kazuki hard across the face with the claw, knocking him down to one knee. The barrel of the gun was against his forehead before he could react.

"Don't move," Vincent ordered, his voice resonating violently.

It was then Yuffie and Lulu ran to him from the doorway, keeping a safe distance from Kazuki. "What the hell is going on here?" Yuffie demanded, still quite buzzed. "Kazuki? I don't believe this."

"Greetings, Princess Yuffie," Kazuki said professionally, still panting and clutching at the wound on his arm.

"Don't give me that _princess_ bullshit. I used to kick your butt when we were kids and I'll do it again if you don't start talking!"

"I'm simply following your esteemed father's orders, Princess. Forgive me."

"What is the old man thinking?" she wondered aloud, turning to face Lulu who's jewel-like eyes were full of worry.

"What shall I do with him?" Vincent asked; still holding the ninja guard at gunpoint.

"Argh!" Yuffie growled. "Let him up. I really could've used a couple more hours of sleep, but what the hell? Let's go see the old man."

Vincent took his eyes from Kazuki long enough to shoot Yuffie a questioning glance. "Are you sure?"

Yuffie punched the air several times, then planted her hands on her hips – her signature move. "Damn sure. Let's get moving. Kazuki?"

"Yes, Princess?"

"Lead the way."

The ninja eyed Vincent who still hadn't let him rise to his feet. "You heard the woman," he said, a nervous edge in his voice. Vincent relented, taking a step back and allowing Kazuki up.

The three companions and their prisoner made their way openly through town, the passing villagers gathering behind them out of curiosity. When they had finally reached the courtyard in front of the palace, Yuffie gaze Kazuki a swift kick in his ass that sent him running inside.

In a few moments Godo appeared in the doorway, surrounded on either side with an armed guard; Kazuki was one of them. Vincent noted the young man's confidence seemed to have returned to him the moment a rifle was placed in his hands.

Yuffie seemed unaffected by the fact that the entire citizenry of Wutai had followed them and were now waiting in silent anticipation to see where this odd scene was going. She threw one leg boldly in front of the other and thrust her index finger toward her father.

"Alright, you old coot, I'm here. So what's the big idea, trying to sell Lulu out to the enemy?"

"Welcome home, Yuffie. Your friends are welcome, also. However, to answer your question, the woman in your company is a dangerous fugitive."

"Like hell she is! I can't believe you'd do a thing like this without even talking to me first!"

Godo eyed the crowd nervously. "Yuffie, perhaps we can discuss this in private. Won't you come inside?"

"Fine. But my friends are coming with me. And I want _them_," – she indicated the guards – "out of my sight."

Godo motioned for the guards to disperse, and they moved inside quickly. Once Yuffie was satisfied, she turned to Vincent and Lulu. "Come on, but don't let your guard down for a second, Vince. The old man's crafty."

Vincent nodded and with Lulu close by his side, followed Yuffie up the steps and into the palace. They were brought to a grand room decorated in red and gold with accents of royal blue. Tea was served, but Yuffie's face told the others not to trust the brew.

Godo smiled pleasantly. "How are you, Yuffie?" he asked innocently.

"Fine until I got your phone call."

"Perhaps we should discuss _that _matter in private, daughter." The way he said _daughter _seemed to imply ownership.

"There's nothing to discuss, _father_. I'm not marrying and that's the final word."

"You know what it means if you do not."

"Last time I snuck a peek at your medical file, you were healthy as a chocobo, Pops. I've got plenty of time before I'll be expected to take over Wutai. And when I do, some things are going to change around here."

"Only your husband can decree any changes in our laws and traditions, Yuffie. You know that."

"Actually, _you _have the power to do away with that particular law, and if you care about me at all, you will do so at once."

"Yuffie, do you not see that my only wish is for both you and our country to be taken care of?"

That pissed Yuffie off. "Since when can I not take care of myself? I only saved the planet for Leviathan's sake!"

"With help from others. And with help from a husband, I am certain you will accomplish many great things."

Yuffie crossed her arms. "Not happening."

"I am sorry you see it that way."

"I am sorry you do not," Yuffie retorted, sounding suddenly very regal. "But forget about that for now. I want to know why you went back on your word to protect Lulu!"

"Lulu? An alias, I presume?"

Lulu nodded. "Vincent gave me the name," she said softly.

"Vincent Valentine." Godo's eyes narrowed as he examined the gunman. "You have quite a reputation for trouble, you know."

"I was not aware." Vincent's tone was calm and level.

"Bringing this fugitive into my village only proves this to be true."

"Lay off Vincent, Dad. He's only here because the three of us were traveling together when you called. I was going to put off coming home until we were done with our mission, but he insisted on making the detour. You should thank him I'm even here."

"I do not thank him for involving you in yet another dangerous errand. But he does have my gratitude for delivering you to this meeting."

Vincent nodded politely, noting the sickened look on Yuffie's face as he did so.

Godo poured himself a second cup of tea and inhaled the rising steam meditatively. "As for your companion here," he said slowly, "are you certain she is what she says? You've told me she is being pursued by an enemy, and yet the men I spoke with this morning claimed she had been kidnapped."

"Kidnapped?" they all echoed at once.

Yuffie's jaw dropped. "You can't honestly think Vincent and I would kidnap somebody. I mean, does she look like she's being held against her will, here?"

"I must admit, she looks quite unrestrained. Perhaps I acted too abruptly."

"Ya think?" was all Yuffie had to say to that ridiculous statement.

"Will you accept my apology?" This he said to Lulu herself.

"Of course, Lord Godo."

"What? Are you serious?" Yuffie was shrieking at this point. "An apology isn't going to take back what you did, and it sure as hell isn't going to keep Lulu safe!"

"Ah, yes," Godo sighed. "As usual, Yuffie, you have no faith in me whatsoever. You should know by now I never make a move without a backup plan."

"Is that right? Well I'd like to hear it, and the sooner the better, old man!"

Just then a gentle moan escaped Lulu's lips, and they turned just in time to see her fall. Vincent, as usual, was there to catch her before she hit the ground, but the young woman could not be stirred.

"She needs to lie down," Yuffie said frantically. "Follow me, Vince. I know a good place she can rest."

Vincent rose with Lulu in his arms, and followed Yuffie out of the room. Godo continued to kneel in front of his table and watched them leave without a word.

"This was my room as a kid," Yuffie said, sliding the paper screen aside.

Vincent stepped inside and laid Lulu on one of the three decorative futons. "This is the room we slept in when you stole our material," Vincent said.

"Yep. It's a guest room now, but when I lived here, it was awesome. I had all my weapons on the wall here, my TV over here…" Her voice trailed off and Vincent moved to her side, setting a hand on her shoulder.

"I was impressed with the way you handled your father back there," he offered.

Yuffie sniffed. "Thanks."

"Are you crying?"

She shook her head. "Of course not!"

"It's alright, Yuffie. You've had a long day."

Yuffie spun on her toe then and threw herself against Vincent. "That was harder than I made it look, you know? I love my dad, and I know he's only looking out for my best interest."

"A father can only do so much for his child. At a certain point, he has to step back and let her make her own way."

Yuffie sighed, stifling the tears. "That's not how it is in Wutai." Then she pulled back and a smile formed on her lips. "I love you," she said warmly.

"I love _you_," Vincent replied. "Are you tired?"

"Not really. Still kinda buzzed, but in a good way."

"I see."

Yuffie looked down at Lulu's limp form and the smile faded. "What's wrong with her, Vince? How many times has she passed out on us?"

"This is the third time that I'm aware of," he said concernedly. "There's something else bothering me, too." He crouched beside Lulu and carefully brushed a lock of hair away from her neck. Yuffie squatted next to Vincent and saw the gray patch of skin forming beneath Lulu's ear.

"What the-?"

"It's worse than it was two days ago."

"What is it?"

"I have no idea. Whatever it is, it's spreading at an alarming rate."

"What does Lulu say about it?"

"She hasn't said anything, and I haven't brought it up."

"Why the hell not? This could be serious?"

"I didn't want to upset her. Perhaps it's just a skin flaw."

Yuffie glared at him. "A skin flaw? You're kidding, right?"

Vincent shrugged. "I can't explain it any other way."

"We need to ask her when she wakes up."

"Very well. Are you volunteering?"

"Argh. Fine, I'll do it."

Vincent smiled. Not a little smile either, but a full-fledged grin. Yuffie jumped back and held her hands up in a square as if to frame his face. "Vince, hold that position! Let me get a picture!"

The smile transformed into a quizzical expression.

"Damn! I missed it."

"Is it that shocking?"

"Well, yeah. I've never seen you smile like that before."

"Hmph. I never realized."

"It looked good. You should do it more often."

"I'll bear that in mind."

"Hey, Vincent, how come I don't have any pictures of you?"

"Would you like one?" he asked, surprised.

"Of course! You should let me take one some time."

Vincent reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. From it, he pulled a small, wrinkled photo and handed it to her.

"That was the last picture taken of me. It was the day I became a Turk."

"Wow, that's you?"

He nodded. "Surprised?"

"It's just… so different. I don't know which you I like better."

"Hopefully the one standing in front of you now."

She smiled up at him. "Yeah, definitely."

"You may keep the picture, if you'd like."

"Are you sure?"

"If I may have one of you."

Yuffie thought for a moment. "Hang on. I'll be right back!"

She ran from the room and returned a moment later with a leather bound album. "There are tons of pictures in here," she said, plopping down on a futon and patting the space next to her. Vincent took a seat beside her as she opened the album.

"Wow, look at me when I was a baby," she said. "I was so cute!"

"You're still cute," Vincent said, kissing her temple.

"Awww. Hey, check it out! My first karate lesson. And look at this one! My first day of school!"

"I imagine you gave your teachers a difficult time."

Yuffie shrugged. "And I bet you were a perfect student."

"You might be surprised."

Yuffie giggled and flipped the page. "Here," she exclaimed. "This is the one I was looking for!" She ripped the photo off the paper backing and handed it to Vincent.

"But this is…"

"Tifa took this one on the Highwind the day everybody came back to fight Sephiroth."

"I'm in this photo."

"That's why… this is my favorite."

In the photo, Yuffie was posed, Shuriken in hand, on the bridge of the Highwind. Vincent could be seen standing in his alcove beside Red XIII in the background.

"Are you certain you want me to have this?" he asked.

"I have copies," she teased.

She leaned over and kissed him gently and Vincent put his arm around her shoulder, leaning his head against hers. "Thank you for the picture, Yuffie."

"Thank you, too. I'll keep it forever."

"Forever," Vincent echoed thoughtfully.

"Is something wrong?"

"Something Lulu said earlier, when you were asleep."

"What did she say? She's not still trying to seduce you is she?"

"No, nothing like that. I think she finally gave up when she realized how much I care for you."

"What was it then?"

"Just now, you said you'd keep my photo forever… The truth is, you won't live forever."

"It's just an expression, Vincent."

"Not for me. I am… eternal. With a serious enough wound, I can be killed. But I will not age, and I will never die of natural causes."

Yuffie's voice was quiet. "I know that, Vince. And some day, I'll be an old woman… and you'll still be as beautiful as you are now. I suppose by then you'll have moved on."

"But I don't intend to move on. I only want to make certain you understand what kind of life you face."

"I'll just be happy for as long as we have together, Vincent. Wutainese people maintain their youth longer than most people, so I figure I've got at least twenty, twenty-five years before I start looking old and you leave."

Vincent turned her face toward his. "I won't leave. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that true love doesn't come to everyone. I'd be foolish to throw it away."

Yuffie just smiled knowingly. "I guess I should get back. I doubt my dad's done talking about the whole arranged marriage deal yet."

"Would you like me to go with you?"

"Thanks, but I think this is something I need to do on my own."

Vincent stood and offered her a hand up. She took it and when she was standing, she threw her arms around him. "Remember to stay alert. I still don't trust the old man."

"I will. And you, be careful as well. Call if you need me. I promise to answer."

They hesitated a moment, gazing fondly at each other, before Yuffie finally backed out of the room and shut the screen behind her.


	15. Chapter 15

***Sorry this chapter is so short. I was going to just start the next scene in this chapter, but I don't think I'd be able to cut it off soon enough if I did that. It was fun writing the argument between Yuffie and her father. Well, you'll see.

Special thanks to The_Windflower_Fairy for helping me figure this website out once again. Without her, I'd surely have thrown in the towel by now and you'd be left with an unfinished story forever!***

Chapter Fifteen: Strength of Character

Yuffie shuffled down the hallway slowly. She would've liked to have stayed with Vincent a little longer, but she had delayed this inevitable conversation for too long already.

As expected, Godo was waiting for her where she left him, sipping his tea casually. "So, you've come back? I wasn't sure if I should wait for you or assume you'd snuck out the back way."

Yuffie's face was serious. "I'm back because I want to settle this once and for all."

Godo set his tea cup down firmly and his posture stiffened. "Very well. I'm prepared to listen to anything you have to say."

"Are you?" she said, suddenly unable to maintain eye contact with her father.

"You're my daughter, Yuffie. I want you to be happy."

This was it, Yuffie thought. This was her opportunity to tell him everything. "But I am happy," she said, eyes on the floor.

"Yuffie, nobody is happy with an uncertain future looming in the distance. Human beings like structure and assurance. Most of all, we like companionship. Do you really think you'll always be satisfied by yourself?"

"I'm not alone, Dad. I have a lot of friends…"

"Ah, yes, the Avalanche group. Don't get me wrong; they're a courageous and honorable bunch of people. But I cannot think of one individual among them who would make a suitable mate for my daughter."

"Not even one?" Yuffie mumbled, so quietly that she wasn't certain Godo had heard her until he raised an eye brow.

"Is there something you wish to tell me, Yuffie?"

"It's… difficult for me to tell you this. I know you'll just fly off the handle. You'll probably disinherit me."

"Speak freely, daughter. I cannot imagine an atrocity serious enough to make me disown my own child."

That relieved her somewhat, though she doubted the sincerity of these words. She knew exactly what type of thing would cause Godo to blow his stack. Why, he'd probably ban her from ever returning to Wutai after this day. Even so, she knew what she wanted, and the old man would have to be told eventually. Better to get it over with now while she had his full attention.

"I'm seeing someone already," she blurted out. "So, I can't marry whoever you have lined up for me, see?"

"You mean… you're seeing a _man_?"

Yuffie glared at him then. "I may be a tomboy, but I'm not a lesbian!"

"No, no, I was not implying anything of the sort. I'm just… surprised. Tell me about this young man. Is he from Wutai?"

"No, he's not. I… don't really know where he comes from originally."

"Who are his parents? What does the family do?"

"You don't understand, Dad. I'm not dating someone from a wealthy, prestigious family. To be honest, I don't know who his parents were, either."

"Yuffie, don't tell me you're dating a vagabond! Why, someone like that can only be after your inheritance!"

"Stop it, Dad! What is it that makes you think that way?"

"You're a princess, Yuffie. You need to be careful what kind of people to allow into your life."

"Look… If I tell you who he is, will you promise not to go flying off the handle?"

"I promise only to act appropriately."

"It's… Vincent."

Godo didn't move; didn't even blink.

For a moment Yuffie thought he might be taking the news well. That was before he threw back the remainder of his tea and rose from the table.

"Dad?"

He turned away slowly and began walking out of the room. Yuffie was shaking when she stood to follow him. She ran forward, stopping to block him from leaving the room.

"Dammit, Dad! Don't do this!"

"I am… disappointed, Yuffie."

"WHY! What is it you don't approve of?"

"I'd be more hard pressed to think of something I _do _approve of."

"You've got to be kidding me."

"I am not." Godo tried to push past her, but she took him off guard when she put her hands against his chest and shoved him back.

"Yuffie… This conversation is over."

"The hell it is! I'm not letting you leave this room until you listen to me!"

Godo crossed his arms, refusing to meet her gaze. Evidently, this was the most she was going to get.

"I want you to meet Vincent."

"I've met him on two occasions now."

"But you've never talked to him."

"I know what I need to know."

"And what is that?"

Godo turned harshly on her then. "He's a freak, Yuffie. Not even human. How can I concede to allowing my only child to marry something like that?"

"I'm not asking your permission, Dad. And I'm not marrying him; we're just dating."

"Wutainese women do not _date_, Yuffie. They court, and then they marry. Anything else would be immoral."

"Again with the ridiculous traditions! It's time to wake up, Dad! That's not how the world works anymore!"

"As long as I am ruling Wutai, it is the way things will work here."

"You're impossible…" Yuffie's throat was hoarse from shouting. "Why can't you just be happy for me?"

Godo sighed. "Because I do not think _you _will be happy with this decision in the long run. And I do not think Wutai will benefit from your poor decision."

"Fine," she sighed. "If that's the way you feel, then I don't want any part in this. I'll leave Wutai and never come back."

She turned to go, then felt Godo's hand fall onto her shoulder. "Wait."

She stopped and turned to look at him. His face had softened somewhat.

"Is he… really so important to you?"

Yuffie nodded. "Yes."

"This is… unfortunate, Yuffie. I had hoped you would make a more sensible decision. However, I refuse to allow something like this to come between us. I love you, Yuffie." He put his arms around her then and she thought she could hear him sobbing quietly.

"I love you, too, Dad. That's why it hurts so much."

When Godo finally released her he had a thoughtful expression on his face. "Come with me," he said quietly. "There is something you must see."

He led her down the hall toward his bedroom. Once inside, he pulled a painting off the wall and carefully set it down, revealing a hidden wall safe. Yuffie had, of course, known about the safe since she was a child. There wasn't a secret in Wutai she wasn't aware of. Yet she hadn't been able to crack the combination in all these years.

Godo opened the safe, being careful to block Yuffie's view from the dial as he entered the combination. Once open, he removed a small wooden box with an ivory inlay of the Kisaragi family crest. Inside the box were a few of Yuffie's mother's personal belongings; a pendant, a comb and her wedding ring which had been passed down to the wives of the Kisaragi emperors for generations. Also in the box was a small, tattered photograph which Godo removed carefully and examined a moment before he handed it to Yuffie.

In the photo was a young woman standing in front of a small farmhouse. She wore peasant's clothes, gloves and well-worn mud boots. Yuffie recognized the woman immediately. "…Mother?"

Godo nodded. "That was the year I first met your mother. She was fifteen, and the most beautiful woman I had ever seen."

"Mother was a farmer?"

"And your grandfather was not at all pleased with my decision to see her. We kept our relationship a secret for two years, until my father died of an unexpected illness. When I succeeded, I brought your mother to the palace in secret and introduced her as a foreign princess to my subjects. It could have so easily been a scandal, but we were never found out. Now the only living people who know are you and me."

Yuffie smiled. She'd always assumed her mother was what she said; yet knowing the truth somehow made her seem more human.

"Why are you showing me this, Dad?"

Godo sighed. "I know what it's like to love the wrong person. If I had listened to my father, I would have missed out on the most wonderful period of my life. And I wouldn't have you."

"Then… you're okay with this?"

"I'm never going to be okay, Yuffie, because I'm never going to stop worrying about you. But I will not stand in your way if Vincent is the man you truly want."

Yuffie threw her arms around him then. "Thank you, Dad… Thank you so much. You don't know what this means to me."

"I do know, Yuffie. And that's the only reason I'm going to keep my mouth shut about this."

Yuffie kissed her father on the cheek, making him blush a little. "There's one more thing I'd like to ask," she said. Godo raised an eyebrow. "I want you to tell Vincent you accept him."

Godo closed his eyes, then nodded slowly. "If that is what it takes to keep you in my life, then I will do it."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen: Diagnosis

Vincent waited in the Kisaragi's guest room while Lulu slept. Although his composure was, as always, cool and controlled, in his mind he was a mess of anxiety and fear. He knew his future with Yuffie was at stake and that everything rode on the conversation she was now having with her father. His highly acute sense of hearing was of no use to him now; for, although he strained to overhear even a few words of the discussion taking place a few rooms away, he could make out nothing. That seemed to Vincent very peculiar, considering he was expecting a shouting match followed by an all-out fight between father and daughter. Perhaps things were going better than expected…

But what would that mean? Vincent had no interest in becoming the emperor of Wutai, even if Godo should agree to such a preposterous idea. He had no business ruling a nation and – considering his lifespan – there would most definitely be problems down the road if he did.

Yet he would accept the post, if it was Yuffie's wish. He would be her lover in secret, if need be, to appease the authorities of Wutainese tradition, but he hoped it wouldn't come to that. Still, he knew he could never ask Yuffie to give up her future for him and, so, he would do whatever it took to keep her in his life.

His heart skipped when he heard the light footsteps approaching at a run and poised himself for the worst. The screen was thrown aside, smacking hard into the door frame, and Yuffie seemed to float into his arms, wrapping her own around his neck tightly.

"Yuffie, is everything alright?" he managed to ask in between a barrage of Yuffie's lips on his.

"Better than alright!" she exclaimed. "My dad is the coolest."

Vincent let go a gentle sigh, but he could not feel total relief until he knew exactly what had been said. "What has happened?"

"It's a long story, but he's okay with us dating. And, I made him promise to be nice from now on. We… can't really go public with it yet, but this is better than I hoped for."

"This is good news, but…"

"But what?"

"It's nothing."

Yuffie's smile vanished. "Vincent, what's wrong with you?"

"I don't suppose you got around to discussing your… inheritance."

Yuffie looked outraged. "Money! What the hell does that have to do with anything?"

"No, Yuffie, not the money. I meant your plans to take over when your father…"

Her face softened then. "We didn't really… talk about that. I'm sorry."

Vincent pulled her close again. "Don't be sorry, Yuffie. It's understandable if you want to put it off. I can wait."

"Whatever happens, I'm going to make sure we get to be together."

Vincent closed his eyes. "That's all I needed to know," he whispered.

Yuffie snuggled her face against him and said, "I'm sorry for accusing you… about the money. I should've known better. I'm just really stressed from talking with my dad."

"No apology necessary."

"So how's Lulu?" she asked, peering under Vincent's arm.

"Still asleep. I'm growing more concerned about her condition."

"Maybe a doctor could help. I could call for our family physician."

"I think that's a wise idea. I'll wait here. I don't want to leave her unguarded."

Yuffie's shoulders slumped a little. Vincent pulled back to examine her face. "What is the matter?"

"It's just… We haven't been alone since we left Edge."

"Yuffie, it's only been a few days."

"I know. I guess I'm just bummed that all this crap had to come up as soon as we got together. It's almost like… Well, never mind."

"Like fate is toying with us?"

Yuffie scratched behind her ear. "Yeah, I guess." Then she shrugged. "Oh well. Once we get Lulu some place safe, I say we go on a vacation! Just the two of us. What do you say?"

The corner of Vincent's mouth turned up. "A vacation? Hmph. That sounds nice."

"Yippee! How about Costa Del Sol? Nah, probably not your kind of place, huh? Maybe Icicle! Do you ski? I used to go all the time."

Vincent cut her off ever so gently. "Wherever you'd like to go is fine with me, Yuffie."

She sighed contently, her eyes glittering as she stared into his. "You're the best, Vince. Sometimes I feel like you're too good to be true."

"I'm far from good, Yuffie."

"Oh, Vince. You're putting yourself down again."

"…But I promise I'll always be good to you."

She hugged him tightly and pecked him on the lips. "Of course!"

They laughed – well, Yuffie Laughed and Vincent chuckled almost inaudibly – before Yuffie reluctantly left him again to send for the doctor.

Twenty minutes later, she returned with an old man of short stature. His hair was nearly snow white and he had a long mustache and beard. Small eyes peered through round spectacles as he examined Vincent curiously. Without a word, he then turned to Lulu.

She had woken up only a few moments prior to the doctor's arrival and was still groggy when he carefully knelt beside her. "Well, now, what have we here?"

He touched the grayed flesh, scratching it lightly with his fingernail. "Interesting. Do you have any food allergies that you're aware of?"

Lulu shook her head. "None that I know of, Doctor. Do you think that's what it is?"

"Not likely… I've only seen this once and it was… well, that's ancient history."

"Please, Doctor," Yuffie implored, kneeling to join him. "What was it?"

The doctor sighed and shook his head. "About five or six years ago, during the war, there were some strange soldiers killed by Wutai soldiers in the woods. When their bodies were collected for burial, the coroners were shocked to discover they were identical to one another. Even more peculiar, perhaps, were the strange gray patches on their skin. Even their hair was graying, and these men were in their twenties."

Lulu's eyes were wide with fear. "What happened? Did you ever find out why this was happening to them?"

The doctor shook his head. "I'm afraid not. The only men I was able to examine were already dead. After a while, we stopped seeing them and the war ended shortly after that. I never found the cause. However, I suspected they were clones of some kind."

Vincent, Yuffie and Lulu eyed each other cautiously until the doctor chuckled to himself. "Ridiculous, I know. Looking back on it now, I wonder if I wasn't just imagining things."

Lulu's face was full of concern. "So you have no idea what is causing this, or my sudden energy loss?"

"My guess would be your feinting episodes are being brought on by anemia. As for the skin problem, I'm at a total loss. I'm sorry, Lulu."

Lulu did her best to keep herself composed. "That's alright, Doctor. Thank you for coming to see me."

The doctor rose, with Yuffie's help, and again looked strangely at Vincent. Then he left the room and the three traveling companions were alone again. Vincent stared after the doctor a moment while Yuffie put a supportive arm around Lulu's tiny shoulders.

"You okay, Lu?"

"Yes, Yuffie. I'll be fine."

"I can't believe the doc didn't know what this was."

"Perhaps it's nothing," she suggested unconvincingly. "How much longer are we staying in Wutai? I'd like to move on as soon as possible."

Yuffie turned to Vincent. "We're having dinner with my dad tonight. I guess we can leave in the morning."

"Thank you." Then Lulu rose to her feet and stretched. "I need some fresh air. Can we go outside for a while?"

"Sure. My dad's got a really nice garden out back."

Lulu nodded and the three of them headed out the back door of the house to the secluded garden. The fresh air felt good, but before Yuffie could check out the koi pond, she felt the cold metal of Vincent's claw close around her arm, holding her back. Lulu walked ahead, without noticing.

"What is it, Vince?"

Vincent waited a moment until Lulu was out of earshot. "I didn't want to say anything in front of her, but… I think I know what's wrong with Lulu."

"Well? Are you gonna tell me or what?"

"Something the doctor said made me think of it. Since it came about, cloning has been an unstable and unpredictable practice. We've seen evidence of that with the Sephiroth clones. I've done some research since then, and came across a symptom known as degradation."

"Degradation? You mean..?"

Vincent nodded slowly. "The process consists of random cell death, resulting in skin or hair discoloration. Eventually, the body will die."

Yuffie felt a wave of panic sweep over her. "No."

"I can't be certain that is what is happening to Lulu, but… if it is…"

"What're we gonna do? There's no way I could tell her…"

"I suggest we continue on our journey to find her a safe home. If she is, indeed, degrading, I believe the best thing would be for her to live out her remaining days in peace."

Yuffie nodded slowly, still struggling to wrap her mind around the probability of Lulu's fatal condition. "You're right."

"Yuffie," Vincent said softly. "We will have to act as though everything is normal. I may very well be wrong about the degradation and, if I am, there's no need to upset Lulu."

"I know. I just… It's going to be hard."

"I know you can do it."

"Well, at least we'll have a distraction tonight. I didn't tell you, but this is sort of a trial. The old coot thinks I need him to approve of you, so he's going to be watching you like a hawk tonight."

"Yuffie…"

"I know you're not so comfortable with people, Vince. But it's important to my dad and I want to do everything I can to stay on good terms with him."

"I understand. I hope I may meet his standards."

"Don't be afraid to put him in his place if he starts acting like a jerk again. Sometimes he just needs a reminder on how to act around other people."

"Noted."

Yuffie inhaled deeply and let the breath out slowly. "Well, let's go feed the stupid fish," she muttered, dragging him toward the koi pond. Neither noticed the set of eyes watching from the rooftop.

***Oh no! Cliffhanger! Sorry if this chapter's boring. I wanted to throw an action scene in there, but it was getting too long. Next chapter will have more romance, humor and bloodshed! PROMISE!***


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen – A Minor Error, A Cataclysmic Consequence

Yuffie was on her belly, sticking her fingers in the koi point, giggling as their gaping mouths searched eagerly for more food. Vincent sat on a large rock, watching her contently, looking up now and again to make sure Lulu was okay. She was standing on the other side of the garden under a blossoming cherry tree, staring up into the flowering branches. There was a similar tree standing over the koi pond, and he glanced up to marvel at the beauty. He heard Yuffie sigh contently. She's turned onto her back and was taking in the same view of the blossoms.

"I love it here," she said. "So peaceful. I spent a lot of time out here growing up."

"I can certainly understand why. It's beautiful."

"Vincent, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"I never thought you liked me very much before. I mean, you were always polite to me. But we weren't really friends until we joined up with the WRO."

"I thought we were friends, Yuffie."

"You know what I mean. You would never have called me to hang out or anything."

"No. But I don't 'hang out' with anybody."

"Exactly. I was no different. You didn't seem to have any particular liking for me. So when you said you loved me, I was really shocked. I've been wanting to ask you for a while… did you have feelings for me before?"

Vincent considered this for a moment. "I was always fond of you. You were so bright and… happy. I was a mess of despair. You made me feel carefree and lighthearted."

"You felt lighthearted around me?" Yuffie crooned, smiling widely.

Vincent nodded. "To answer your question, though, I think I was slow to realize my true feelings. It wasn't until that night in Edge that I knew I was willing to love again. Your words were… so kind and honest. Nobody had ever spoken to me in that way."

"I wish more people did. I wish more people took time to really get to know you. Everyone admires your abilities and your reliability, but nobody seems to realize there's a person under that harsh exterior. It makes me sad."

Vincent reached down and cupped her cheek in his hand. "Don't feel sad for me, Yuffie. I may not look it, but I'm happier than I've ever been."

"Aww, Vince. Really?"

He opened his arms and she jumped into them readily. "Of course!"

Yuffie had to laugh. He was clearly trying to impersonate her, but it sounded hilarious in his deep, almost toneless voice.

"I love you, Yuffie."

"I love _you_, Vincent. All of you, inside and out!"

They leaned in to kiss but were interrupted by a blood-curdling scream.

Two men had entered the garden from the rooftop. Vincent cursed himself for not having kept a better eye on Lulu. One of the men was struggling to keep a hold on her while the other one stood guard between us and them. Both were armed with pistols.

Yuffie turned to Vincent. "You get Lulu. I'll take care of this jack-ass."

Vincent hesitated, his eyes wavering between Yuffie and the approaching villain.

"Hurry, Vince! Don't worry about me – just save Lulu!"

With that Yuffie dove toward the man who fired three shots which she avoided with ease. Vincent had to remind himself Yuffie was a more than able warrior before he felt confident enough to leave her alone.

Then he darted off toward Lulu and her captor who was having a difficult time restraining the screaming woman. As he approached, the man threw Lulu to the ground and pulled his piece. Vincent was a step ahead of him and shot the weapon out of his hand before he fired a single shot. But his enemy was quick and rolled out of the way before Vincent could land a shot and scooped Lulu up again, using her as a shield.

Vincent was confident he could aim past Lulu and kill the man, but the fear in Lulu's eyes made him hesitate. Finally he took the shot, destroying the man's shoulder and dropping him, screaming in agony, to the ground. Lulu rushed toward Vincent, bawling as she burrowed against his chest. He put an arm around her protectively.

"Hand over the girl," said a voice from behind. Vincent turned and felt his heart leap across his chest. Never in his life had he been so terrified. The other man held her with one arm and had the muzzle of his gun to her temple with the other. He could see that several other men, armed with rifled, had the garden surrounded from the roof. He might be able to free Yuffie with a well-placed bullet, but the snipers would overtake them all in the end. He couldn't risk it.

"I'm serious. I'll kill this little bitch." There was confidence in the man's voice and Vincent knew he'd lost.

"Don't do it, Vince," Yuffie whimpered painfully. "Just gimme a minute and I'll get free." Vincent could tell her bravery was in vain. She wouldn't get out of this without his help. And the only way he could help was to hand over the thing he'd sworn to protect. Lulu looked up at him remorsefully, as if she understood what he must do.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, pushing her away.

The man shoved Yuffie to the ground hard and kept his gun pointed at her until Lulu was safely in hand. Then he backed away cautiously. Several Wutainese guards had appeared to assist, but their spears and other short-range weapons were no match for the rooftop snipers. Vincent held up a hand to them, letting them know not to attack.

He stood and watched as Lulu walked calmly alongside her captor, never taking her eyes off Vincent. The rooftop snipers lowered a cable down and the man attached it to his belt before being hoisted up. A helicopter approached then and one by one his enemies disappeared inside it. As it lifted into the air, the man who'd taken Lulu called out to him.

"Hey Valentine!"

Vincent looked up just in time to see him pull the trigger. The shot rang out over the sound of the chopper's blades before the helicopter disappeared, and Yuffie was knocked off her feet like a rag doll. The bullet had gone right through her abdomen, and in the instant it took Vincent to lift her from the garden floor and carry her into her father's house, she'd lost enough blood to soak his shirt.

She clung weakly to him as he rushed her to the guest room and laid her down. A house keeper called for help and it was only by a great stroke of fortune that the doctor had stayed to have tea with Godo. He rushed to Yuffie's side, barking orders to Vincent and the household staff. Vincent's demons raged inside him, desperate to get out. He held them back, his body trembling wildly. Finally he tore his eyes from Yuffie and fled the room.

He knew the doctor wouldn't be able to help her. She'd need a hospital. He pulled his mobile and dialed Cid's number. It rang four times before he finally picked up.

"What say, Vince? Whatcha up to?"

"Cid, come to Wutai immediately. Yuffie's been shot. She needs to get to a hospital."

"&$%#! On my way!"

Even as fast as the Shera could go, Vincent knew it would be at least an hour before Cid could be here if he was leaving from Rocket Town. If the doctor couldn't get the bleeding to slow down before then, she didn't have a chance. He approached the door again slowly, peeking in past the bustling staff acting as nurses. Yuffie appeared to have lost consciousness. He wanted desperately to be by her side but knew his presence would only hinder the doctor's ability to save her. And so, without being told, he remained in the corridor, pacing anxiously.

Nearly an hour later Godo emerged from the room, his face graven. Once he spotted Vincent, his expression changed to one of fury. "You! This is your doing!"

Vincent allowed Godo to push him back against the wall and swing his fist into his face. The taste of blood where his lip had broken against a tooth only made him think of Yuffie's blood which was slowly drying, sticking his shirt to his skin.

"I knew you would only bring ruin to my daughter's life. Get out of our land immediately and don't ever return."

Vincent could hear the Shera approaching, though he knew Godo could not.

"I'll stay away from Wutai, and your daughter. But first you must allow me to get her to a hospital."

"You are not taking Yuffie anywhere!"

"She'll die without proper medical treatment."

"Our physicians are more than capable-"

"The boy is right," the doctor interrupted. "I've done all I can for Yuffie. She needs a transfusion."

Godo stuttered, "W-we can do that here!"

"Lord Godo, do not be a fool! If you trust my medical opinion, you will do as I say!"

Godo growled and bowed his head. Vincent rushed past him and knelt beside Yuffie. Her face and lips were almost completely white. She looked dead. Vincent carefully lifted her, still wrapped in a heavy blanket, and rushed her out of the house just as the Shera descended. The ladder was extended but he didn't wait for it. He allowed some of his rage to transform him into the ghostly red storm and flew up to the deck.

"Go!" he shouted, transforming back into human form and kicking through the door, still cradling Yuffie in his arms. He felt the ship rock as it took off, and carried Yuffie to the cabin they had shared on their way to Wutai.

Cid had a few scientists on board and they were able to keep Yuffie stabilized during the journey back to Edge. A kind woman with red hair seemed to be in charge of the small team, and Vincent could see she was doing everything she can to keep Yuffie comfortable – and alive. She made a few notes on a clipboard, then turned to Vincent who'd been standing at the foot of the bed watching helplessly.

"Doctors aren't supposed to say things like this, because there's always the chance that something could go wrong… but I think she's going to make it." She touched his shoulder supportively and smiled. "Stay with her. Talk to her and let her know you're with her. It'll keep her strong."

Vincent nodded and the woman left the room. He was alone with Yuffie now. Some of her color had returned since the Shera medical crew had intervened.

He reached out to brush a strand of hair out of Yuffie's face, but stopped before he'd touched her. _I don't deserve to touch her. I destroy everything I touch. Once I've made sure she's taken care of in Edge, I'll leave and never come back._

He questioned his own resolve, knowing how difficult it would be to stay away from her. He knew she wouldn't blame him for any of this, and that she'd be upset if he left. Even so, if Vincent understood anything, it was sacrifice. Yuffie would be safer without him, and that was a fact. So he would sacrifice his happiness and, possibly, hers to make sure nothing like this happened to her again. He knew he'd had to check in on her occasionally – always in secret, of course, and from a distance – but he would not allow her to follow him into another dangerous trap.

_That_, he told himself firmly, _is absolutely final. _

Then he took a deep sigh and bent down to kiss her forehead lightly.


	18. Chapter 18

***Okay, everybody – just to let you know, there are probably only going to be one or two more chapters. Unless I think of something else to lengthen it, it's coming very near its end. That was quick! Well, we'll see what happens! Hope you enjoy it.***

Chapter Eighteen – Making it Right

Yuffie was admitted to Edge General Hospital for the second time in little over a week. Godo had insisted on coming along, and he had not spoken a word to Vincent since they'd boarded the airship. He hovered over Yuffie now, who was still unconscious, forbidding Vincent from entering Yuffie's room.

That was fine. He didn't intend to hang around long; just until Tifa arrived, and it wasn't long before she came rushing toward him where he stood outside Yuffie's room.

"Vincent! What's happened now?"

Vincent's chin dropped. "Yuffie's been shot. She… is expected to recover, but the doctors can't guarantee anything."

"They're usually right about things like that, Vincent." She examined his face for a moment. "Are you alright?"

He nodded. "I asked you to come here because I'm leaving shortly. The men who hurt Yuffie also took Lulu."

"You're going after her?"

"I can't do anything to help Yuffie. All I can do is try to save Lulu."

Out of the blue, Tifa stepped forward and took him in a warm embrace.

"Tifa?"

"I'm so sorry, Vincent."

"For what?"

"You try so hard, but things never seem to work out well for you. It just… makes me sad. I'm sorry."

She pulled away then and Vincent was stunned by her sudden emotional outburst.

"Tifa. I've decided to end things with Yuffie."

"What! How can you say that while she's laying there in that hospital bed! She needs you now more than ever."

"No, she doesn't need me. I only cause her unnecessary pain and suffering. It's better for her if I stay away. Her father has requested that I do, and I am inclined to oblige him."

"That fat old fart has no business interfering in Yuffie's private life! I'll set him straight right now!"

Vincent took her shoulders firmly before she could burst into Yuffie's room and chew Godo to pieces on his behalf.

"He's right, Tifa. She'll be better off without me."

"Vincent, don't go. She'll be so heartbroken when she wakes up."

"Perhaps, but this is the way it must be. I've made my decision. I won't be coming back to Edge, nor anywhere else I expect Yuffie to be."

At that moment, from inside the room, Yuffie stirred slightly and whispered his name. "Vincent…"

Vincent felt his heart drop and gazed into the room to look at her, then shifted his gaze to Godo whose glare only reinforced his determination.

Tifa gestured toward Yuffie and shook her head. "At least wait until she wakes up?"

Vincent closed his eyes tightly. "I can't!" he nearly shouted. "If I wait, I know I won't be able to go. Please, just give Yuffie this letter when she wakes up."

He handed Tifa a sealed envelope addressed simply to _Yuffie Kisaragi_.

Tifa implored him with her large eyes. "Vincent, don't do this. Running away from your true feelings is… the worst mistake you can make. I should know."

Vincent wavered for a moment then sighed. "I'm sorry, Tifa." And with that, he left.

As he passed through the lobby, the receptionist waved cheerfully at him. It was all he could do to keep from ripping her service counter to splinters. Instead, he walked past without acknowledging her, and stepped out into the chilly night air.

He made his way through narrow side streets, avoiding main roads as much as possible. After a few moments he came to a wall plastered with posters. One caught his eye and he stopped to examine the Vincent Valentine _Official _Fan Club poster. He knew Yuffie had put it up at some point before he'd involved her in this dangerous affair. She'd thought so highly of him, and it had nearly gotten her killed.

He let out an agonized roar as he swiped at the poster with his claw, shredding it to confetti, then quickened his pace to a run. He didn't stop until he'd reached the outskirts of Edge where Cid waited for him with the Shera.

Once aboard, he went to the bridge and let Cid know he was ready to leave. The grizzly pilot handed him a paper cup filled with hot coffee. Vincent took it absently. "No booze in there, so drink up."

Normally Vincent didn't drink coffee, but it didn't seem to matter now. He guzzled the dark brew quickly and made his way to the glass dome window, watching the landscapes streak past below the ship.

"So," Cid said, leaving the controls and joining Vincent. "Where are we headed, exactly?"

"Back to Wutai. The southeastern peninsula."

"How do ya figure that's where the girl is?"

"They were flying a helicopter. I doubt they could have crossed the ocean with all that weight on board. So they must have been close."

Cid nodded, accepting Vincent's logic.

"We'll get you there, Vince. Also, I've decided I'm gonna lend you a hand."

Vincent looked up at him questioningly.

"I know, I know. This is your mission, and you think you need to do this on your own, but that's bullshit, man! I think we all learned how powerful teamwork can be travelin' around with that punk, Cloud. I'm goin' with ya and that's all there is to it!"

Vincent nodded. "I could use your help, Cid. Thank you."

"That's it? No argument? Damn, Vince, you okay?"

"No. But I know my chances of rescuing Lulu and getting out alive are poor on my own. I'll take all the help I can get."

"Then it's a damn good thing I invited Cloud to join us."

"Cloud?"

The yellow-haired leader entered as if on cue and nodded at Vincent. "I heard you could use some help."

"I hardly know what to say. Thank you. Both of you."

"Hey, that's what friends are for, Vincent. When are you gonna learn that?" Cid slapped him on the back and returned to the controls. Cloud stood with Vincent in silence for a moment.

"You know… I'm no good at speeches. I just want you to know you're not alone, Vincent."

"Thank you, Cloud. I think I'm finally beginning to see that."

"So you're really not coming back when this is over?"

Vincent shook his head.

"Too bad. You guys looked really happy together."

Vincent sighed and Cloud took the hint, leaving him alone.

Later on, Vincent was preparing for sleep and, as he pulled his wallet out of his pocket, something made him open it. He pulled out the picture Yuffie had given him and traced the outlines of her face with his finger. In the photo, she was happy and healthy, as she should be. As she would be from now on.

Cid set the Shera down a few miles from the cave Vincent suspected Professor Orias' mercenaries were holding Lulu. The three companions set out at a quick pace until the mouth of the cave was in sight. From there, Vincent scouted the area through his sniper scope.

"Hmph. No guards."

Cloud nodded. "They're probably not expecting anyone to find them."

"I dunno, Vince," Cid interjected. "You sure this is the right place? It's kind of a long shot, don't you think?"

Vincent shook his head. "I'm sure this is where they took Lulu."

"If you say so. Let's get our asses down there."

Once inside the cave, things seemed eerily quiet. There were a few monster attacks, but nothing serious, and the party was beginning to think they'd come to the wrong place when a scream echoed through the cavern.

Only Vincent heard it, but the others were hot on his trail when he began sprinting toward it. When he'd found the source of the scream, Vincent practically skidded to a halt. Cloud and Cid nearly slammed into him.

The cavern had been transformed into a medical laboratory, fully stocked. It appeared, too, as though Orias had been living in this place. A small bed could be seen tucked into a rocky crevice near a paper-littered desk.

Lulu was restrained on a steel table and was now still, as a needle was pulled from her arm. The man in the lab coat holding the syringe regarded Vincent with irritation.

"Valentine. Why am I not surprised to see you and your little friends?"

"Let her go, Orias, or I swear by the planet I'll rip your heart out of your chest faster than you can blink."

Orias simply rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers, signaling half a dozen mercenaries forward.

Cloud looked up at Vincent as if to ask whether or not he intended to fight. Vincent shook his head subtly.

"The girl, Orias. I'm in no mood to watch six more lives be snuffed for the sake of your mad experiments."

"I assure you, Vincent, these are my best men. You will find they bring forth quite a challenge."

"Then you leave us no choice." Vincent maintained his composure even as he glimpsed the fear in his opponents' eyes. Then he took a deep breath and summoned the beast within.

Cloud and Cid stepped aside as the demonic creature exploded from Vincent's elegant form and flew at their enemies in a maelstrom of flames.

Those quick enough to escape the beast flare attack were easily dispatched by Cloud or Cid, and moments later six bodies – three of them charred beyond recognition – lay scattered on the cave floor. Vincent assumed his natural form and strode forward, clutching the scientist by his throat and lifting him several inches off the ground. Orias struggled to pry the long fingers loose, to no avail. Vincent's eyes flashed in rage.

"Tell me, Orias. Just what was the point of this sickening experiment?" He dropped the man who fell to the ground in an unbalanced heap.

Orias rubbed his throat as he panted for air. "You of all people should understand my reasons. You loved her as well as I did. And, like me, you quickly learned you couldn't have her."

"Lucrecia…"

"And yet even the clone does not want me. She ran to you, Vincent. Not me. Never me."

"You believed you could force her to have feelings for you?"

"And why not? If I am the only man in her life, she was bound to form an attraction to me eventually. But, no… it was your name she whispered into the night. The first chance she got, she ran to you. How I hate you, Vincent Valentine. How your very name makes me ill."

He struggled to his feet then and shook his head.

"As you can see, the clone is not doing so well." Vincent examined Lulu; the graying of her skin had spread much further, and there were patches all over her body now. Even her hair was turning white.

"She's degrading, isn't she?"

"Well, well, well… you know a thing or two about clones, I see. Then you must also know she hasn't got long to live. I suggest you leave her to me. I will ensure no further harm will come to her."

"I can't do that."

"You'll only expedite her worsening condition if you attempt to flee with her. Her fragile existence is only shortened by stressful situations."

"You're in no position to stop me, Orias. I'm taking her away from here, away from you."

"That's where you're wrong, Valentine. You see, without me, Lucrecia will not survive. The drug I just gave her contained a serum I alone have the knowledge to produce. This serum is the only thing that can reverse the degradation and stabilize her condition. Without me, she will die in a matter of weeks. I informed her of this just before you arrived, and I don't think she'll be willing to leave my side again."

"You abuse her. She told me you raped her. She would choose death over life with you."

"You are, of course, entitled to your opinions, Mr. Valentine. They matter little to me at this point."

Vincent weighed his options, glancing over at Cloud and Cid for guidance. Cid just shrugged remorsefully. Cloud, on the other hand, gave him a firm nod and tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword. He knew they'd be with him no matter what he chose to do. Even so, he did not feel it was his place to decide for Lulu when he life was at stake.

Orias interrupted his thoughts then. "Oh, Vincent. I always liked you. You were so spirited and good-natured. Not like the others. The Turks seemed to attract so many power hungry maniacs. You were different. Now, look at you. It's truly sad. Tell me, how long did you sleep? It must have been near on thirty years for you to still appear so young."

Vincent muttered through gritted teeth, "I am eternal, thanks to Hojo's meddling."

Orias burst out in laughter then. "Is that what you think? Interesting. Perhaps I'll just let you go on believing that."

"Don't listen to him, Vince," Cid spat. "He's trying to mess with you. You were in that damn filthy coffin for thirty years and never aged a day."

Orias' laughter finally ceased and he shook his head. "It may interest you to know, Professor Hojo and I worked on the project that created you together. It was all diagrams and theories, of course – Hojo didn't actually find a subject to work on until after I was gone. But it truly amazes me you don't know more about yourself. How long did you say you slept? Thirty years? That's about right, isn't it? But several have passed since your awakening. Am I right?"

Vincent forced his mouth to move. "What are you saying?"

Then Orias' laughter resumed. "No, I can't! It's too much fun!"

Vincent held back his anger, knowing harming him would doom Lulu's chances of survival. Shockingly, Cloud burst forward and with a powerful overhead swing, hacked Orias' left hand off. The scientist began screaming wildly as he cradled the wound. "You bastard! What have you done?"

Cloud smirked as he walked slowly back toward Vincent. He looked up at him and said quietly, "Nothing like irony."

Vincent recognized the symbolism then and looked down at the claw that had replaced his own hand. Then he looked back at Cloud and nodded before approaching Orias who had crumpled to the ground.

"Give me all the serum you've made so far."

"Y-you… Can't… save her!"

"I can ensure she will die peacefully, which is more than I can promise you."

The professor lifted his other arm and pointed weakly to a black med kit on the desk. Cloud immediately stepped forward and grabbed the kit, checking the contents. "Only three syringes in here."

"That's all I have, I swear! Resources… are scarce. Please. You must help me. I'm losing too much blood."

"A fitting end for a man like you." The image of Yuffie lying in a pool of blood in her father's garden came to his mind unbidden and his lip twitched in response. "Tell me how to make more of the serum or I'll let you bleed to death right here."

"It's too… complicated… You… wouldn't be able…" He was losing consciousness.

"He's not gonna make it, Vince," Cid said quietly.

Vincent reluctantly produced the Cure material and placed it in a slot on the Cerberus. The wound healed slightly as he cast Cure 3 and Orias' eyes reopened.

"You… you saved me."

"For her," Vincent growled, gesturing toward Lulu. "Not for you. I need you to make more serum now, or I swear I'll end you. It will be a very long and painful death."

"I'm sorry, Vincent." The sincerity in his voice took Vincent off guard. "I cannot produce more of the serum."

"He's lying!" Cloud shouted frantically.

"No. I'm not. You see… I didn't create it. It was someone else's work."

"Whose?"

"A man long dead. During the Wutai war, there was a renegade Soldier named Genesis. A scientist named Hollander assisted him in cloning himself… He soon learned that the clones did not survive long. He produced the serum shortly before his death. It took me decades to track down the location of his laboratory and find the serum. What I have… is all that ever existed."

"Then what you said before was a lie," Cloud said, seemingly shocked at the dishonesty. "She wouldn't survive any longer with you than with us."

Orias nodded slowly. "I'm afraid so."

Vincent shook his head. "Then there is nothing we can do for her."

"There is something… Take her, Vincent. Take her far away, somewhere she can be free and happy."

"Why the sudden change of heart?" Cid chimed in, lighting a cigarette.

"I've done terrible things… Things I am not proud of. All I ever wanted was for her to love me." His eyes drifted toward Lulu. "But that isn't Lucrecia. She made her decision, and sadly, it cost her her life and her dignity."

"A little late for repentance," Vincent scolded.

Orias gazed up at him questioningly. "Better late than never. Wouldn't you agree, Vincent Valentine?"

"Cid, can you radio for the Shera to meet us outside the cave?"

"Sure thing, bud." Cid pulled out his phone and dialed while Vincent turned again toward the cluttered desk.

Cloud seemed to red his thoughts. "We need to destroy the research data."

Orias' shoulders fell, but he did not protest.

Vincent nodded and rose to his feet, then proceeded to free Lulu from the table. He lifted her carefully and turned to Cloud. "Can you carry him?"

Cloud turned to the professor and nodded.

"No! Leave me. I… I don't want to go on like this."

"Don't be stupid," Cloud said, hoisting the man into his arms. "Everyone deserves an opportunity to make up for their past."

Vincent knew Cloud understood that better than anyone; perhaps even better than himself. Orias would live to redeem himself, and Lulu… well, Lulu would live long enough to spend a few months without having to worry about anybody coming after her. Vincent would made sure of that; he planned to remain with her to make certain she received her serum injections. He would also be there when she returned to the planet. Nobody should have to die alone.


	19. Chapter 19

***Warning: this is the final chapter in this story. I'm done! Somehow, that makes me kind of sad…***

Chapter Nineteen – Reunion

They burned the secret lab before leaving the caves and getting aboard the airship. When Lulu had awoken and learned she had been rescued, she requested to be taken to the chocobo ranch. Evidently, Lucrecia had been the niece of the man who owned the ranch, and she hoped he would be willing to take her in.

They were nearing the ranch when Vincent's mobile started to ring. It was Tifa. He nearly ignored the call, then realized Tifa would probably be calling to update him on Yuffie's status.

"Tifa," he said calmly into the phone.

"Vincent. Did everything go okay? Did you find Lulu?"

"Lulu is safe, for now. Unfortunately, at her current rate of degradation, she most likely only has a few months to live.

"That's terrible… Does she know?"

"I explained everything to her. She's decided to stay with a relative, the owner of the chocobo ranch. I've decided to stay there as well, at least until she…" He let his voice trail off. "How is Yuffie?" he dared ask.

"She's expected to make a full recovery. She's a tough little thing. You know, she's been calling your name in her sleep all day. Godo finally got pissed off and left."

Vincent nearly chuckled at the image – nearly.

"So, then, you're really not coming back?" Tifa said, her tone growing serious again.

"It's better this way."

"Better for whom?"

"Yuffie deserves to be safe and happy. She has a bright future – a future I only tainted by selfishly entering into her affections. One day she will step forward to rule Wutai. She will marry a worthy man who will keep her out of danger and make her happy."

"Are we talking about the same person? Yuffie doesn't want to be protected and tied down, Vincent. She's like you: a self-reliant wanderer. To be honest, I was surprised when I first found out about you guys… But now it makes sense. You balance each other out perfectly."

"Perhaps in another lifetime, we might have had a chance. But not in this one. I won't let her make one more sacrifice for me. Best to end this now, before it gets carried too far."

"Don't you think you're a little past that point already? Vincent, she's in love with you. And I think you're in love with her."

Vincent remained silent on his end of the line.

Tifa sighed, knowing she was fighting a futile battle. "I hope you change your mind, Vincent. At the very least, you should tell her all this in person."

"If I do that… She'll only ask me to stay. And I will, because I can't seem to make myself act against her will. I can't allow that to happen."

"I just think you're making a mistake. For Yuffie's sake, and yours, I hope you change your mind. When you love someone, I don't think you should let anything stand in your way of happiness. You fight through the bad, and grow stronger together."

Vincent knew she was referring to her own relationship with Cloud.

"Tifa… I have to go now. Please continue to watch over Yuffie."

"Think about what I said Vincent."

"…Goodbye, Tifa." He snapped the phone shut without waiting for a response, then clutched the railing tightly, trying to push the conversation from his mind.

Lulu was welcomed by Lucrecia's uncle at the chocobo ranch, and Vincent stayed with her, as he'd planned. For the first two months, little changed. The degradation was kept under control and Lulu seemed happy on the ranch. When she finally weakened to the point of being bedridden, Vincent stayed at her side and cared for her as best he knew how. It was difficult to watch her slip in and out of consciousness, to watch death steal her away slowly and relentlessly.

When, at last, she slipped away, Vincent kissed her forehead gently and carried her body to a place near the ocean. He buried her there and stood by for several hours before finally leaving her to rest.

It had been five months since she'd been shot in Wutai. Yuffie now sat on the steps in front of the Seventh Heaven, holding two envelopes. One contained the letter Vincent had asked Tifa to deliver when she'd woken up in the hospital. The other was from Lulu – though it was written in Vincent's elegant cursive – stating she had been living happily on the chocobo ranch southeast of Midgar. The letter was sad, because it was clear she near the end when she dictated it. In a way, knowing Vincent had been there with her all along made it easier. At least she knew he was somewhere, and at least Lulu died with a friend nearby.

But he wasn't there now. She knew this because the moment she'd read the letter, she had gone to the ranch herself to find him. The rancher had informed her he'd left only a few days ago and had not stated where he was headed. That was so typically Vincent, she thought.

Inside the bar behind her, she heard laughter. Everyone had gathered to celebrate her twentieth birthday – everyone except the one person she really wanted to see. She knew he wouldn't be there. He'd made it clear in his letter that he had no intention of seeing her any time soon.

Yuffie glanced back over her shoulder toward the sound of the laughter. She sighed as she noticed the sign posted on the door, written in Cloud's sloppy print. _Closed for private party_.

She felt bad for slipping outside, for avoiding her guests. Tifa and Cloud had worked hard to make the party a success, and she felt ungrateful of their kindness. Things had all but gone back to normal – normal being the time before she and Vincent had admitted their feelings for one another – although, in truth, Yuffie was having a more difficult time dealing with his absence than she let on. It wasn't in her nature to mope, and usually she didn't.

It was mainly when she saw other happy couples that her heart felt empty and the loneliness drifted in. Cloud and Tifa had been smooching and holding hands all afternoon and, finally, Yuffie had broken down. She'd gone outside for a break from the sappy romance scenes and was actually somewhat enjoying the solitude. Somewhat.

When she'd woken up in the hospital, Tifa had given her Vincent's letter and explained Vincent's need to know she was safe, even if it meant losing her. She had, of course, called him immediately. He didn't answer, so she'd left a voicemail pleading with him to come back. He never answered, of course.

_Damn you, Vincent Valentine_, she thought. _Why did you have to leave me like this? It's not fair… You've made it impossible for me to enjoy my birthday party. You've… broken my heart._

She let her head fall into her hands then and the tears came at last. It wouldn't do any good to hold in the sobbing, she knew – better to get it all out now, then get back to the party and pretend to have fun. A dark shadow fell over her then and she froze as she traced its outline with her eyes. _Don't get your hopes up, Yuffie. Probably just some idiot trying to get into my VIP party. _She turned back around then and gasped when her eyes fell upon the flowing crimson cape. She slowly allowed her gaze to drift up to his face, her heart drumming in her chest.

There was a sadness in his eyes greater than any she'd seen before. What was he doing here? Had he come to say a proper farewell? _Oh,_ _he brought me a present_. Indeed, the gunslinger had a small gift-wrapped box under his right arm.

"Vincent…"

He did not move; did not even blink. His eyes continued to gaze remorsefully into hers.

"What are you doing here?" she asked carefully.

Finally he stirred, taking the gift in both his hands. "I brought you some material."

"Oh," she muttered. "Thanks." She stood up and reached for the box which he handed her from a distance.

Yuffie fingered the bow on the box nervously, trying to think of something to say. "So, I guess Lulu is… gone."

Vincent nodded mildly. "She went peacefully."

"Good. I'm glad you were there with her… for her sake."

Vincent said nothing, but kept his crimson eyes on her. What was it in his expression that made her feel so blue? Was it Lulu's death?

"Are you, y'know, okay? It must have been difficult for you to watch Lulu degrade."

"Yes… It was."

She waited a moment and he seemed to be doing the same. He didn't move or speak, but continued to stare. This was starting to get uncomfortable.

"Vincent… What are you doing here?" she asked, finally.

"Would you like me to go?"

"No!" she answered – too quickly. Her heart felt swollen in her chest, as though it might burst any moment. "I mean, you don't have to go if you don't want to."

He nodded with a familiar, "Hmph."

"Seriously, Vince!" she almost shouted then. She hated suspense more than anything – unless, of course, she was the one causing it. "Why are you here? You said in your letter you weren't coming back!" She waved the envelope in his face and again felt the tears coming. They burned her eyes and she whipped away from Vincent so he wouldn't see them.

"Yuffie, I…" he sighed and she could hear him stepping closer. "I don't know how to ask you to forgive me. The reason I am here… is to apologize to you. You must hate me – I deserve nothing less. But I couldn't live another minute without knowing for certain that you've moved on. If you tell me you no longer want me, I will go and never disturb you again."

Yuffie turned slowly to face him, her expression a mix between fear and disbelief.

"Vincent…" She approached him warily and noticed he started to lift his arms to her, then quickly dropped them to his sides again. Part of her wanted to reach up and slap him across the face, and curse him for hurting her. The other part – the stronger part – only focused on doing whatever it took to get him to stay. And so, she set the box containing Vincent's gift down and bolted toward him, arms wide. As she reached him, she felt his hand and claw under her arms as he lifted her into his. She found his lips quickly and wrapped her fingers into his black mane.

Even their first kiss had not been this magical. Yuffie could hardly contain her joy as Vincent wrapped his arms around her tightly – still supporting her weight so that her feet dangled near his knees – and kissed her more passionately than before.

Five months had passed, but nothing had changed. When at last their lips parted, Yuffie pulled her face away to look at him. The sadness was gone from his eyes and had been replaced with an adoring glow. She guessed hers reflected roughly the same sentiment.

"Vincent," she whispered.

"Yuffie," he whispered back.

"Don't leave me again."

"I don't know how I'd ever find the strength to do so."

She beamed at him. "Thank Leviathan for that!"

Vincent half smirked. "Does this mean you forgive me?"

"Can you forgive yourself?" Yuffie retorted, raising an eyebrow.

He gave her a look, and she gave it right back.

"Yes," he answered, finally, nodding once.

"Then of course I forgive you."

Vincent smiled a little and leaned in to kiss her softly.

"Oh!" Yuffie shouted. "I have to tell you something. You know that whole business about me having to take over when my old man croaks?"

Vincent nodded slowly, expecting bad news.

"Well, you don't have to worry about it."

"What do you mean?"

"I gave it some good hard thought. And, in the end, I decided that the right thing for me was a compromise."

"A compromise… What exactly did that entail?"

Yuffie grinned. "Dad is going to elect a regent – someone to rule in my place when he kicks the bucket. The cool thing is, I can take over any time if I choose to. Genius, huh?"

"Indeed. Why hadn't such an option been considered before?"

"Well, to be honest, it _wasn't_ an option until I got Godo in a headlock and made him sign the contract I drew up. I'm such a genius, he had to give in! Muah-hah-hah…"

Vincent couldn't help but chuckle. "Very clever of you. I hope you father wasn't seriously injured."

"Nothing the acupuncturist couldn't fix. He deserved worse, though, the way he talked to you."

Vincent cocked his head to the side and set Yuffie back down. "How did you hear about that?"

"I was still conscious when he started yelling at you. It's the last thing I remember before I blacked out. I was thinking about how I was going to force him to apologize to you first thing when I recovered… Then you were gone when I woke up." She sniffled and wiped quickly at the single tear forming in the corner of her eye. "I wish you had been there, Vincent."

Vincent touched her face gently and she looked up at him through red-rimmed eyes. "I was there, Yuffie. I came to see you at least once a week in secret. Sometimes I'd come into your room if you were asleep, but the rest of the time I just watched from a distance."

"You… you did?"

He nodded slowly. "I couldn't stay away, despite my resolve."

_Vincent was there with me… all along_, she thought happily. It was a good feeling; one she couldn't help sharing. She threw her arms around him then and snuggled her face into his chest. "That makes me feel so good," she whimpered.

"The last time I visited, I watched you through the window in the hospital. Your father had just left and I saw you looking at the photo I'd given you…"

"I looked at it every night. It was all I had."

"I know," he sighed remorsefully. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright, Vince. We're together now. Just promise me you won't leave again, no matter what happens!"

"I promise, Yuffie. Never again. Not unless you ask me to go. Even then, I can't guarantee I'll stay gone."

"Sounds good to me!"

"There's something else I wanted to tell you, Yuffie. And I hope it doesn't change your feelings toward me. It's about my lifespan."

"Vincent, please… It's too depressing. The idea of you staying young and beautiful while I get old and nasty is just… grotesque."

"Hmph. That's just it, Yuffie… I'm aging."

"Say what? But you're, like, fifty-something, and you only look _twenty_-something."

"Evidently my metabolism and aging process slow drastically when I sleep – and I slept for thirty years without waking. Now, however, I am awake for eighty hours at a time, and require only a few hours of sleep in between. I've been told I should age normally if I don't go into hibernation again."

"Then… you mean we get to be a grumpy old couple together?"

Vincent nodded seriously, though the idea amused him. "It doesn't bother you, does it?" he asked carefully.

"It does make me a little sad," Yuffie admitted. "As much as I hate to admit it, there was always something so comforting in knowing you'd always be around, long after I was dead. I always thought of you like the eternal guardian of the planet, or something."

Vincent chuckled. "You really do have some strange ideas about me, Yuffie. Sometimes I don't know how you come up with these things."

Yuffie threw her hands onto her hips then. "Hey! I'm giving you a compliment, and all you can do is make fun of me?"

"I'm not making fun… it just feels good to have someone think so highly of me, even after all I've done."

"We all make mistakes, Vincent. Your only sin is in not letting yourself move past yours."

He nodded. "I know… Deep down, I know you're right. And I'm working on it."

"I know you are, Vince," Yuffie replied sweetly.

For a moment they took each other in. The thrill of their reunion was still present and, after a moment, Yuffie leaned against him again. As his arms folded around her, she closed her eyes tightly and smiled.

Vincent kissed her forehead and whispered, "happy birthday, Yuffie."

~*~ *~The End~*~*~

Well, I hope you all enjoyed reading my story as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'm sorry if at times the writing or plot were poor. This being my first ever completed fan fiction, I did struggle a bit at times to move the story along. I did almost no editing, either. There were many nights when I was up WAY past my bed time because I couldn't stop writing. So, now it's complete. I may write another one someday but I think I'm going to focus on my other fanfic and my book for a while now. Thanks again for reading!


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